Shedding A New Skin

by Twixst_of_the_Slough

Summary:

What if every decision you ever made was decided by someone else? Can you really be held responsible for them?

After the defeat of the Overlord as the Golden Master, Pythor finds himself contemplating his life, and makes a decision to change for the better, accidentally changing his destiny in the process and leaving him with a new elemental power. Now free to make his own choices, Pythor attempts to navigate a world that has been ravaged by his past actions and those of the serpentine. Left with the gripping uncertainty of how much control he had over his life, and if he should take responsibility for his past actions, he joins the ninja to make amends, but not everyone is so willing to forgive...

Chapter 1: Destiny

"Daddy? Daddy?"

Pythor groaned and rubbed his eyes as the sunlight peeked in through the curtains. He opened his eyes and saw a blue and purple serpentine beside his bed. "Mmmm… good morning Indigo."

"I'm hungry… when are you going to get up?"

"Who is it, Pythor? Oh hey there cutie." Xiuh yawned and leaned up to see her son peeking over the edge of the bed.

"Don't worry you two, I'm getting up now. Is Cinder up too?" He nodded, and Pythor chuckled. "Ever the early risers, eh? Just give me and your mom a few minutes to get ready and we'll be out in the kitchen to make you breakfast."

"Okay." He said and slithered out of the room, shutting the door behind him. As soon as he was gone, Pythor fell back against the bed and sighed as he uncoiled from around Xiuh's, and pulled away from her with a wet noise from between her legs. "Oh man that was close."

"Yeah, good thing he didn't try to slither into bed this time. We're lucky he didn't see you inside me."

"Eh, I think it's getting close to the time where we should tell them where they came from. They're almost 6 now."

"Are you sure? They're still pretty young."

"Yeah, I think they should learn about this before they start exploring themselves. I also think it will make them more willing to wait till they're older before they have kids of their own, instead of like we did."

"You're probably right, I still wouldn't change what we did though. You got me out of the palace, and I feel so much happier with you now. I just wish you could visit more often."

"Xiuh… if I do then his parents might find out I had children with you. They're still wanting me to marry that anacondrai noble from Ouroboros, but if they find out that we have a marriage between us… they'll kill you and…"

"Pythor, you're the prince now, if you take the throne then I can be your wife publicly and we can live in peace."

"I think we should talk about this later, Indigo and Cinder are probably wondering what's taking us so long. You all cleaned up?"

"Good enough till after breakfast. What are you going to make?"

"Your favorites, pancakes and eggs." He said, and grinned when he saw her smile, He gently stroked her chin, leaning in close. "Are you sure you didn't hypnotize me to make me fall in love with you?"

Her red eyes started to swirl for a half-second before she leaned forward and kissed me. "Oh I didn't need to rely on his kind's powers for that. You're sexy enough on your own."

He chuckled and led her out into the hallway and then the dining area, where he saw Cinder coiled up at the table holding something close to her chest and with a big smile on her face.

"Look what I made daddy!" She turned it around to show him and he clasped his hands to his chest. She held up a beautiful painting of the four of them having a picnic in the forest.

"Awwwww, I love it so much sweetie! You're going to be an amazing painter when you grow up, I know other serpentine are going to love your work too." He said and leaned down to give her a big hug. "You are so amazing, Cinder."

"What about me?" Indigo asked as he looked between us, and he let go of Cinder to give him a big hug too.

"You are too, silly. You are getting really great at painting and learning music just like your sister." He said and ruffled his head before he got up. "Now, who wants some pancakes and eggs?"

They both started cheering and saying things like "me" over and over, and he went over to the pantry and got out the ingredients. As he started mixing them Xiuh came over to him and helped by getting the wood stove burning. "You sure look happy this morning, hun."

"I'm always happy in the kitchen, cooking is something I really love to do. It's so much better when I can do it myself instead of having overworked servants doing it for me. I think I cook better than them to be honest, but maybe that's because I can get more sleep."

"You can cook better than them huh? Is that a challenge?"

"You know I could never cook better than you sweetie, you've taught me so much about cooking and baking, and I really appreciate it. You mean so much to me Xiuh."

"Then why did you let me and our kids die?"

"Huh?" He asked and turned to look at her, and froze when he saw a charred and lifeless husk staring right at him.

"You didn't stop them. You weren't here when they blocked us inside and burned us alive."

"Why did you leave us daddy? Why? Why weren't you here?" Cinder and Indigo asked, and he gasped when he saw them. They were charred too, just like their mother. "We hate you! We hate you! WE HATE YOU!"

Xiuh grabbed him, and fire leapt out of her mouth right at Pythor's face, and he screamed.

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He grunted as he fell onto the metal floor and opened his eyes to see darkness all around him beyond the circular wall of his cell. The only lights came from the one mounted directly above him, and the one above the control panel for the bridge to access the cell.

He rubbed his head while getting up and slithered over to the table to coil around the seat. He buried his head in his arms as he tried to control his breathing, only to fail.

“That was the third nightmare I've had this week, or has it been five days?” He thought and shook his head. He could never tell in here. The prison staff only let him know what time or day it was when they gave him the occasional newspaper, or how much longer he had until he was to be hanged.

“Why do I keep having these dreams and nightmares? It doesn't matter what they think of me, they're dead. It didn't matter to me before and it doesn't matter now.”

He looked up at his reflection in the glass and noticed that his eyes were puffy and watery. Guess that explained why he felt tears running down his scales.

“Oh who am I kidding? I miss them… I miss them so damn much. Them and everyone else I know.”

Ever since he had been placed on death row in this cell built just for him, he has had almost no interaction with any other living beings. Even though he had felt alienated from serpentine, he realized now that he missed talking with people, or even just being around them.

“I hate being alone, I just want to have friends and family.”

The metal door to the chamber started to open. He looked over at it, and felt his heart racing, even though it was just a couple of corrections officers coming in. They extended the bridge towards the cell, and his heart sunk at the sick smiles on their faces.

"Awwwwww… he looks even more miserable than usual. Did the big bad prince have a bad dream?"

He scoffed and looked away. "What do you care?"

"Oh, come on, don't be like that. Kryptarium Prison's focus is on rehabilitating its occupants and helping them re-integrate into society. We care about the health, safety, and well-being of our inmates, and we want to make sure they are taken care of."

"Tsk, yeah, your 85% re-incarceration rate really supports that. Oh, and let's not forget the fact that 12% of prisoners released from here commit suicide in the first year of freedom."

"No one asked for your opinion, snake."

"They're not an opinion, just facts. You never let me see the sun or the moon, I can never tell what time it is, you don't let me read books or paint, and I hardly ever get to talk to anyone. I suppose his opinion would be that Noble doesn't give a shit about our well-being, only how much money he makes off of us."

"Well, it doesn't matter how you're treated, you're still going to die anyway. Your execution has been moved up by the way. You die in 60 days on November 25th."

"How kind of you to give me today's date, assuming you're even being honest this time. Anyways, we both know you didn't come here to ask me how I'm doing. What do you want?"

"Just to show you something in the newspaper. Take a look at the obituary on page 7C." The corrections officer motioned for a window on the cell to be opened, and placed the newspaper inside. Once it closed, the window on Pythor's end opened and he took the newspaper. His heart sank even further at what he saw.

Dr. Julien Sanford of Ninjago City, Ninjago passed away Monday October 20th, 2015 at Ninjago Central Hospital at 1:40 am. He was 88 years old.

"Damn…" He just stared at the headshot that was used for the obituary as he held the newspaper tighter. "I can't believe he's gone."

"You have got to be shitting me. You're actually feeling bad about this?"

He snapped up at the officer who asked and threw the newspaper behind him so hard he heard it tear. "What? Were you expecting me to gloat? Or to say something like 'good riddance'? Dr. Julien was one of the few humans I actually liked and deeply respected, and I don't speak ill of the dead!"

"Didn't like him enough to not kill his son, apparently. Did you know that he died of heartbreak? Technically a heart attack, but still. September 19th was Zane's birthday, and he wasn't here thanks to you."

He sighed and looked away. As much as he hated to admit it, he was right. He saw out of the corner of his eye some sick smirk on the faces of the officers, and hissed at their sadism. One of them stepped away to answer his radio for something and looked back. "What do you mean 'he has a visitor'? Who the fuck would want to- you're kidding me. Her again?"

He watched as they walked down the bridge and stepped to the side as the doors opened and an anacondrai slithered in. He grimaced when he saw who it was and crossed his arms as he looked away.

"Hello Pythor. How are you holding up?"

“Should I be honest, or polite? Oh whatever, it didn't matter.”

"I'm holding up alright, aunt Maera."

"Pythor, you don't need to lie to me. I can see how thin you are, and your eyes just look so tired. I'm worried about you."

He scoffed and turned to face her. "Don't patronize me. And you're one to talk about not telling lies. I still remember the disappointment in your eyes when you first saw me here. You were ashamed of me, you were embarrassed to even be related to me! How on Earth could you ever be worried about me when your own nephew is a homicidal terrorist?!"

"Because I don't see you as his nephew, I see you as his son!" He shook his head and turned away as he covered his eyes, but there was nowhere he could go to avoid this. "Pythor, it wasn't your fault what happened to you. You were forced to leave Quetzalcoatl by your parents and you had to survive all on your own. We… we should have stood up for you and-"

"Just stop it okay? Just stop it! Do you really think standing up to them earlier would have accomplished anything? You would have just gotten yourself killed like everyone else who tried!"

"Yes, I do. Arcturus was able to overthrow Aihtiram and Jamila and execute them. We wanted to invite you back, to give you a more peaceful and safe life, one where you didn't have to kill and sleep with a weapon under your pillow just to survive. The war broke out though before we could get in contact with you."

"I wouldn't have come back. There's a reason why I didn't go to your house after the great devourer was killed. I'm not the same person you knew all those years ago. You can't take the blame for what I've done, so don't even try to. It was his choice to run a gang in Myonlac, it was his choice to revive the overlord to take revenge on everyone, and it was his choice to betray Lloyd Garmadon even after he treated me like a true friend!"

Pythor was full-on shaking by this point, and didn't bother to wipe away the tears that were streaming down his scales. Aunt Maera just stood there watching him with her hands clasped together over her chest, and he slithered over to the glass to meet her soft eyes.

"I killed someone's child Aunt Maera. His name was Zane Sanford, and his father, a world-renowned scientist who I actually liked, died because of me. I thought I would enjoy destroying Zane, but… I watched him give his life for his friends, and I… I… I felt nothing. I'm a monster."

"Pythor… no… y-you're not a monster. You're his son, or at least… I think of you as his son."

Tears were forming in her eyes now, and his heart ached as he looked at her. If this was the last time he ever saw her… he had to say it. "I l-love you too… mum. I don't think we're going to be seeing each other again though. I'm set to visit the gallows in a month."

"No… no! I-no… we won't let that happen! We'll fight to get your death sentence overturned." She swore, but he just shook his head.

"There's nothing you can do. It's over. I chose his path. At least I can take comfort that I'll see Arcturus in the cursed realm, since I'll probably end up there."

"We'll still try. Even if it's pointless, we still won't just lay down and do nothing. Don't give up Pythor, we'll see each other again."

He watched as she slithered down the bridge, and she even waved goodbye to him. The corrections officers retracted the bridge and left the room, leaving him completely alone again. He went to pick up the newspaper and put the pages back together, and noticed that the front page had an article on Dr. Julien.

He laid down to read it, and found that pit in his chest growing even more. If he hadn't chosen to wallow in his own hatred and revive that damn demon, he could have actually lived among humans just like the serpentine were now. He could have actually met with the doctor and learned things from him. He could have became friends with the ninja, just like how Lloyd wanted to be with him.

They played pranks on villages, cooked meat and s'mores over campfires, stole toys and candy, broke into small carnivals and went on rides; and how did he repay him? By stealing the map of dens and leaving him to the ninja, by draining his golden power, by leaving him to die in a fucking volcano!

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?!" He screamed as he punched the bed and curled up. “I have sent hundreds… if not thousands of people into homelessness because of his attacks on Ninjago City, I have hurt and killed so many people, and I have ruined so many lives.”

He pushed himself up and looked at his reflection in the glass. He swore he would never become someone like his parents, someone who extorted whoever they wanted and killed any who opposed them, and he did. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. "No more. No. More. I'm done being someone who destroys. Nothing, absolutely nothing will ever change that again."

He opened his eyes, and saw something purple and blue swirling behind him. He got up and turned around only to immediately be punched in the face. Before he could get his bearings, he felt something being poured down his throat.

He pushed two people in robes away and grabbed one of them with his tail, whipping them around and slamming them into the glass so hard it cracked.

"Who the hell are you people?!" He asked and stumbled back as an alarm sounded. He put a hand to his head as his vision started to become blurry, and more robed figures entered the cell.

"You'll find out soon enough." Was the last thing he heard before he fell to the ground and everything went dark.

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Pythor groaned as he opened his eyes and rubbed them to clear his vision, and immediately felt his arms jolt as he discovered they were chained to the wall along with his tail. His neck too was chained to the floor and he lied on a cold, stone bed, hardly able to move.

"What the hell…?" He muttered. He looked out the window of the cell he was in, and saw white buildings with brown features, flying ships, and clouds beneath them. "I don't think I'm in Ninjago anymore, Toto."

"That would be correct." He turned around and saw a man with graying hair on the other side of the cell door. "You are in the Cloud Kingdom now, Pythor Acryla."

"Who are you? And what am I doing here?"

"I am Fenwick, the head writer of the scribes of destiny." He said as he came into his cell along with a few other people, one dressed like a monk and two like soldiers. "As for why you are here, you have gone against what was written for your destiny. I must admit, it has been quite some time since we have had to bring anyone here by force. I can't recall it happening in my lifetime in fact."

Pythor watched as the monk rubbed something on his arm, and grunted when he pressed a needle into his left arm, and he started draining his blood into a bag.

"What do you mean 'what was written for my destiny'? And why are you taking my blood?"

"Patience. Up here in the cloud kingdom, we know what's going to come next in life because we have written it. We have written all that ever was, all that is, and all that ever will be. You see, there needs to be a plan for everyone, people need to be guided towards their destiny, or everything will fall into chaos."

A deep hiss made its way out of his mouth as he realized the meaning of this and glared at Fenwick dead in the eyes. "So everything I have ever done, every action, every choice, it's all been for nothing. You gave us the illusion of choice, moving us around like puppets on strings, all so that you can tell your perfect little story."

"Precisely. You are meant to serve as a continual threat to the ninja and the people of Earth. Time and time again you will slip away only to come back with another plan to destroy them. That is your role."

"I will never be a part of your twisted little fanfiction, Fenwick. Not anymore."

"And that is why you are here, Pythor. That pesky resolve of yours, that dragon spirit that composes your very soul, it has made you go too far. This isn't the first time you have strayed from your path though, but we were always able to 'write on the fly' so to speak and rein you back in."

"'Rein me in'?"

"Yes. You weren't supposed to be having these feelings of guilt and remorse for betraying Lloyd's kindness upon releasing you, for destroying the master of ice, for betraying the serpentine. Each time you did though, we were able to steer you back on track, make it a part of your story, including the loss of your family."

He felt his heart skip a beat as those words registered in his head, and stared up at Fenwick with wide eyes as the monk pulled out the needle and wrapped up his arm.

"Yes, Xiuh Kanar had to go. We couldn't have you actually become the serpentine king now could-" Fenwick yelped as he snapped his neck out and nearly caught his throat in his fangs, only being stopped by the chain and a guard slamming his neck against the wall.

"You fucking bastard! You and your monks killed my wife and children! All so I could be the monster you wanted me to be!"

He tried to push the guard off and break out of the chains, but he just pushed harder, and his eyes started bulging out as he began to choke. Fenwick stepped close and smiled as it got harder and harder to breathe and grabbed Pythor's chin to force him to look at him.

"I wasn't the one who wrote it, but yes. You are nothing more than a character in our story, but you are about to become so much more. You wanted to know why we were taking your blood, correct? We can't change what has already been written, but we can make sure that you never disobey us again for the rest of your life. You will become our monster, and the ink that is your blood will ensure it."

"No…" He choked and fell to the floor once he was released, immediately coughing for air as he could only watch them leave. The cell door slammed shut and locked, and he was left alone once again. He yelled and slammed his fist against the stone wall as he imagined Fenwick using his blood to control him.

To think that everything in his life was meaningless, that he never had a choice from the day he hatched. He sighed as he leaned back against the stone wall again and looked out the window. Every day in his life, he had made a choice. Sometimes they were mundane things, like what he would eat for breakfast; others, they would be more important things, like whether he would sneak into the storerooms that night to steal food for serpentine in the lower classes.

Did he really ever have a choice in those instances? Or did he just think he did, and only chose what he was destined to do? Maybe that meant that Xiuh never truly loved him, that she was just forced to, only to be ripped away so that he could become a bitter person.

He shook his head. No, he refused to believe that. If anything was true, if anything couldn't be controlled, it had to be their love for each other. He never felt the same way for anyone else like he did for her, he never even thought about having sex with anyone after she was killed.

How much time did he have left? What if Fenwick was dipping his quill in his blood right now? Would he be sent back to Ninjago, and be destined to kill Nya? He knew the master of lightning was in love with her, and that she was Kai's sister. She also electrocuted him with some kind of net. Getting revenge against her would surely rip apart the team.

No. No! He wouldn't allow it! He refused to believe that he never had any control over his life, that he was free of any of the responsibility for the actions he's taken. Becoming a mob boss, betraying Lloyd, killing Zane, he still chose to do them. He has always had a choice. He wouldn't let anyone else get hurt because of him ever again!

He grabbed the chain linking his neck to the ground and pulled with all his might, and it shattered. He gasped and looked down, and his hands were glowing with all the colors of the rainbow. "What in Quetzalcoatl's name is this?"

He saw and understood how the stone on the floor and the walls were made up, he knew how the metal bars on the window and the door were made up, he understood it all.

He reached back and broke the chains on his arms and tail, setting himself free. He stretched his back and tail before, slithering over to the door and put his hands on it. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, imagining it blowing off the wall, and pushed. He grunted when he felt a big thud in his nostrils, and opened his eyes to see a crack in the wall opposite the cell door.

"Ow… okay, gonna have to work on that." Pythor said as he rubbed his nose to get rid of the pain. He slithered out into the hallway and saw a guard running around the corner.

"He's out! Alert the garrison!"

He rushed at him with a sword and Pythor immediately ducked back into the cell and broke the chain off of the wall. He wound it up as quickly as he could and swung at the guard as he came in. The chain wrapped around his wrist and Pythor yanked it hard while slamming his other arm into his neck.

He grabbed the dropped sword and rushed out into the hallway again. Several guards were running at him and he ducked away from a slash and blocked the next. He looked back and saw only a couple of guards, and knew the path he needed to take.

He made a feint at the guards in front of him and they took the bait to let him whip around and lunge at the guards behind me. He ducked low and slashed across the first guard's thigh before coiling around the second one, throwing him with all his might at the others.

The door slammed open as Pythor rushed out into the open air and promptly shut the door behind him. He grabbed the top of the wall and shuddered as he looked over the edge. It had to be a 50 meter drop. Although the realm existed in the clouds, that seemed to be all there was. Nothing could be seen beneath the islands. Nothing to stop him if he fell.

"It's over Pythor, there's nowhere to run."

Pythor turned around to see several guards surrounding him, completely blocking off any paths he could take to get around them. "Fenwick will never control me again. None of you will!"

"As soon as he writes on your scroll, he will. Now drop the sword and come with us peacefully."

Swords and spears were pointed at him from all angles, and the cold stone wall pressed up against the scales on his back. Pythor turned and looked over the edge of the wall. The ground looked even further away now.

"You won't make it. You'll just become a red splatter on the ground."

He looked back at them, then at the sword in his hand, and gripped it even tighter. "Then I better hope this works."

"No! Stop!"

The air flew over Pythor's scales as the ground began rushing closer. He focused on the sword and imagined the blade being bent into a hook, then slammed it into the stone wall and held on for dear life. Five meters above the ground though, the blade broke and he skidded along the side of the building before slamming into the ground.

His mouth twisted into a grimace as he tried to push himself off the ground, his arms trembling as blood leaked from torn scales. Pythor grabbed the wall for support as he slowly pulled himself up and panted, unable to really move for several long seconds. He looked up at the side of the tower, a long gash in the wall stretched from between the third and fourth story down to between the first and second.

"Come on… please work."

Pythor put his hands on the ground, and the rocks sparked with rainbow bolts as they stretched out and formed a bridge to another island. The guards burst out of the prison tower and ran after Pythor as he took off across the bridge. Once he was on stable ground, he slammed his palm down on the bridge as energy raced across it, the rock structure breaking apart and sending the guards plummeting.

A boat was heading straight for him as he took a deep breath and held his lower chest. He looked around, but this island also didn't have any natural bridges connecting it to others, and it looked just like the tower he had jumped off of.

Out of options, Pythor slithered around the corner of the building and turned invisible as the boat docked on the island. The soldiers on board ran off and surrounded the island as some came outside to meet them.

"Have you seen Pythor around here? He fled to this island after escaping from tower five."

"No, we haven't. The guards saw him create a bridge over here and break it, but we lost sight of him."

"Well, he's an anacondrai. He can turn invisible, and without the anacondrai staff we can't expose him."

"He could have dug under the island, but he'd just be sitting down there. We haven't seen any reactions though, so he's still on this island."

"We have to find him. We can't let the essence of imagination get out into the realms. It was hard enough making sure that hypnobrai mage didn't pass it on to her children. Search the island, leave no space unchecked."

He needed to move fast. It was only a matter of time before they bumped into him. Pythor looked at the boat they used to get here and smiled.

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The skiff passed over the roof of a building and Pythor dropped onto it as soon as he felt it was safe. A loud grunt escaped his mouth before he could contain it, and he dropped his invisibility as his entire body throbbed with pain.

"Did you hear something?"

Pythor gasped and pressed himself tight to the wall as he became invisible again. He looked around the corner and gulped when he saw that the skiff had stopped.

"It was just the rudder, come on, let's go."

The skiff started moving again, and Pythor held in his breath until they had gotten farther away before finally letting it out and leaning back against the roof.

"Ugh… how the fuck did I manage to stay unnoticed on that trip to the dark island a few years ago?"

Pythor looked over at the giant building near the one he was on and saw a lot of people heading in and out of it. Pushing himself off of the shingles, he held onto a corner of the roof with his tail and reached down to a windowsill. No sounds could be heard coming from inside, and Pythor broke the latch on the shutters to slither inside, eventually making his way to the main hall.

Pythor wandered around the building, trying to find the head writer's office, succeeding after stealing a robe left out and claiming he had information on the escaped anacondrai.

"Well? What information do you have on him that it has to involve interrupting me?!" Fenwick asked as he dabbed a quill in blood and tried to write on a scroll, only for the blood to spark.

"Well, I know that he's here in this building." Pythor said as he locked the door behind him.

"And how do you know this?"

"You're talking to him."

Pythor dropped the hood and exposed himself as he slithered over to the desk. Fenwick turned around and tried to gain as much distance as he could away from the serpentine glaring at him.

"GUARDS! S-Stop right there, Pythor! I said stop! Stop right now or I tear this scroll in half and your destiny ends right here and now!"

Pythor stopped as he watched Fenwick hold his scroll out in front of him, hands ready to tear. Fenwick smiled as the door was pounded on, and he motioned for Pythor to back away from him.

"That's right. You may have been able to escape from the prison, but your freedom ends now. Open the door."

He hissed and slithered over to the door and reached up to open it, and chuckled. Pythor turned and pushed a table over in front of the door.

"Wh-what are you doing?! I said to open the door!"

"Oh, did you actually think I'd just do as you said? Just like that?"

Pythor finished barricading the door and slithered back over to Fenwick, snatching the scroll out of his hands when he tried to tear it again.

"You're not going to fool me that easily. I saw you trying to write on here when I came in and you couldn't. I'm guessing it has something to do with that "imagination" thing the militia here mentioned. And if you can't write on here, then I suppose what's on here doesn't matter anymore, does it?"

Pythor tossed the scroll onto a burning candle and watched as it caught on fire. Fenwick yelped as his neck became wrapped up in Pythor's tail and he was lifted off the ground.

"I'm only going to say this once Fenwick, so listen well. You can't control me anymore; I write my own destiny now. I'm going back home to Ninjago, and you're going to tell me how."

"You think I'll just go along with that? That I'll just let you live your-"

Fenwick grasped at Pythor's tail as it began tightening around his neck, gradually closing up as he watched the human struggle.

"I know you will, if you value your life and work that is. How do I leave the cloud kingdom?"

"You can't! The blind man's eye won't be passing for at least another few months. You're stuck here. Killing me won't change tha-"

Pythor tightened his tail even more and watched as Fenwick started to turn blue. His struggling got weaker, and a second later Pythor released some of the pressure.

"Last chance Fenwick. Your friends kidnapped me from Kryptarium Prison somehow, so you can leave this realm. Tell me how this instant, or I snap your neck and I send you to the cursed realm."

Pythor started to tighten his tail again and Fenwick tapped it.

"Killing me won't get you out of this realm."

"It will at least give me the satisfaction of killing the bastard who took my family from me."

"The death of Xiuh and your two children may have been influenced by us, but it was not of our design. Aihtiram would have killed them anyways. We just made some edits."

"I. Don't. Care."

"You don't get it, do you? You've been so focused on me you haven't been listening to what's been going on outside. We received word that you broke out of the prison tower using your new elemental powers, and we knew you'd come for me. You tricked the guards into bringing you to my office by claiming you had information on your whereabouts. Do you really think they've been standing patiently outside this whole time?"

At that moment, the doors burst open, and a dozen guards stormed into the office. Pythor enveloped Fenwick in his tail and threw him at the guards, knocking down several and allowing him to dash out. Pythor froze when he saw several more guards charging down the hall towards him and couldn't get to the stairs.

He looked around and slammed his palm on the floor, sparks shooting out to make the floor crumble. Pythor pushed himself off the ground and bolted for anywhere he could.

"After him!"

Why are there so many soldiers in the building? I thought this was supposed to be the main hall where the scribes wrote everyone's destiny? Wait… there were a ton of scribes leaving when I finally got here. Did they clear out the-

They knew I was coming. This was a trap, and I fell for it.

"There he is! Don't let him escape!"

He took the first turn he saw and hurried until he saw a sign for a stairwell and opened the door. A soldier was right on the other end of it and thrusted his sword forward. Pythor grunted as they caught his side and ducked away as his tail got nicked. He kept slithering down the hall and pushed his way out through a set of double doors.

He gasped when he hit the edge of a balcony and realized he had no way to climb down this time. He turned around and immediately got bashed in the face by a shield, knocking him head over tail. Pythor's eyes snapped open once his vision cleared and he saw the clouds and rock islands rushing past him.

Pythor tried to think of something, anything to do, but his mind was racing too quickly to think clearly. He had nothing to slow his fall or change direction, and he was just barely missing some of the islands, some of them only passing by a meter. It was only a matter of time before he hit one at terminal velocity.

And that time was up.

He saw an island with a spire on a tower rushing at him, and he felt his heart drop. He would never be able to see his family again, never be able to truly change, or tell Lloyd just how truly sorry he was for hurting him.

Pythor closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he thought of Xiuh and his children.

Wait… something felt… different. It felt like the air was catching on his arms.

Pythor opened his eyes and they widened when he saw wings on his body. His neck felt longer, and he saw four legs just before a long, white tail.

I'm… a dragon.

Another island rushed past him, and he beat his wings, narrowly avoiding it. He twisted his body to dodge another, and as he spun a white light filled his vision.

Before he knew it, a sprawling forest was beneath him, as was a mountain that he was rapidly getting closer to. Pythor tried to get more air under him, but no matter how hard he tried, all he could do was get level before a huge tree slammed into his head and everything went black.

Chapter 2: Frosty

Summary:

Pythor crash lands after escaping from the Cloud Kingdom, and where does he wake up? Why at Garmadon's Monastery of course! Too injured to fly away, he's forced to confide his identity to Garmadon and a few dragons while making sure it stays hidden from the other dragons and ninja.

Notes:

This chapter originally had explicit content in it, but I really didn't feel like the second chapter was appropriate for something so... lewd. So I decided to focus on emotional and character development instead, which I think is a lot more enjoyable.

Oh, by the way. I decided to make Cole's dragon Rocky female and name her Terra, and Zane's dragon Shard a female named Fria. Nya and Lloyd also get their own dragons!

P.S. Does the formatting look good? I tried pasting this as rich text instead of HTML and I'm not sure if it looks better to you all.

"It's waking up. Stay back."

 

Pythor growled and opened up his eyes as he tried to lift his head, only to grunt when it throbbed with a sharp pain that radiated down through his neck. His vision cleared after a few blinks and he saw a man with a long white and green kimono in front of him.

 

Garmadon?

 

The master raised an eyebrow at the white dragon, and the two stared at each other for a few seconds before Pythor started shuffling backwards. Pythor ignored his words as he turned away and attempted to unfurl his wings, but he fell forward onto his face as his wings locked up.

 

"Please, do not try to fly. That crash you were involved in clearly injured your shoulders and wings. If you try to fly you may hurt yourself even more and you might not be able to fly for even longer. You must rest."

 

Pythor turned his head and looked at his lavender-colored wings to see that there were scratches all over the fibrous membrane that made them up, some of them were very deep. His lavender underbelly had dark spots in some places, and he felt sore there too. He huffed as he hung his head down and relaxed his wings. He wouldn't be leaving anytime soon, especially since he didn't know how to fly.

 

"I will not be some pet, and certainly not a prisoner." Pythor said as he looked back at the spinjitzu master. He noticed a few figures standing further back, and recognized them as Nya, Misako, and… Lloyd.

 

He couldn't let them find out who he was.

 

"Of course. We will not hold you against your will. There are plenty of caves in these mountains here where you can rest. You will have your own space, freedom of movement, and we will make sure that you are well fed."

 

"Fine, let's go. I'm cold and I want to rest.'

 

"Are you comfortable walking?"

 

If trying to fly or even spread his wings were any indication, probably not, but Pythor agreed anyways. He was instructed to follow the sensei who had gotten on an ATV, and started heading towards the mountain.

 

By the time Pythor had reached a cave that Garmadon said was empty, his legs were shaking and he was panting very hard. Pythor made his way inside and over to a pool of water that he started drinking from. He curled up on the cold rocks, growling at the pressure it put on his wings, but he found a way to get comfortable as he curled up.

 

He heard footsteps coming into the cave and opened an eye to see that it was Garmadon.

 

"What is it?"

 

"What are you doing here?"

 

"I'm trying to rest, and I'd appreciate it if I could do it in peace."

 

The man sighed and put his hands on his hips.

 

"I know that's you, Pythor."

 

Pythor's eyes snapped open and he lifted his head up as he stared at the sensei who was now walking closer to him. "W-what? H-How did you-?"

 

"You think I can't recognize the eyes of the snake who tried to kill my son and brother more times than I care to count? I can tell who you are no matter what form you take. Now what are you doing at my monastery? Have you come for revenge?"

 

Pythor turned his gaze away from him. "I don't go after revenge… not anymore."

 

"I find that very hard to believe."

 

"I don't blame you. I've done horrible things, a lot of them."

 

"That's an understatement."

 

Pythor snapped back to look at Garmadon. "Look, I'm being serious here! I don't know how I ended up here, I don't even know how I ended up as a dragon! All I know is that I was falling to my death in the cloud kingdom and thought about how I could never apologize for the things I have committed against your son. The next thing I knew, I was a dragon. I guess I crossed realms somehow."

 

Garmadon just tilted his head and stared at the dragon in front of him. Pythor lowered his head and rested it on the ground.

 

"I can't take away the things that I have done to your family, nor would I even try to. Please understand that I am trying to be a better serpentine now. I'm trying to avoid killing, stealing, or blackmailing. I don't want to be someone who destroys anymore…"

 

This time Garmadon was silent for even longer. The water dripping from the stalactites sounded like thunderclaps. Eventually, Garmadon let out a big sigh and hung his head for a second.

 

"Damn it… I don't know why, but I'm sensing something different about you. Either you're telling the truth, or you've gotten even better at your lying."

 

"Can I stay?"

 

"For now, at least until you're healed up. And I wouldn't try transforming until you are, or you could make that injury even worse. Transforming doesn't heal your wounds”

 

"Thank you."

 

"If you hurt my son again, any of our friends, or dragons, in any way, you won't have to worry about going back to Kryptarium. Got it?"

 

"Yes, I understand. I promise I won't. And sir?"

 

"Hm?"

 

"Could you… please not tell anyone I'm here?"

 

"Why not?"

 

"I'm trying to figure out who I want to be now, and what I can do with my life. If people knew who I was, or that I was here, they might not give me a chance."

 

"Very well, but a word of advice to you. The longer a fruit is allowed to spoil, the worse it tastes when it is eaten."

 

With that, Garmadon left the cave, and Pythor was left alone as he laid his head down and tried to rest.

 

----------------------------------------------------

 

"He looks like mom. Do you think he can breathe ice too?"

 

"Shhhhh. You'll wake him up."

 

"You 'shhhhhh'!"

 

Pythor's eyes blinked open and he saw three small dragons standing very close to his snout. He immediately screeched and stood up as a burst of blue fire sent them scrambling for the exit.

 

As soon as he processed what just happened, Pythor made his way out of the cave where a large red and black dragon was snapping at the young dragons. Once they were flying away, the dragon huffed as smoke blew out of his mouth and he turned to Pythor.

 

"Terribly sorry about that, my hatchlings were supposed to be staying with my mate but it seems they snuck out while she was sleeping."

 

"Certainly woke me up."

 

"Yes, I should have suspected they might want to check out the new dragon. It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Flare."

 

"I'm Py-" Pythor mentally slapped himself. What in the underworld was he thinking, introducing himself by his real name? Did he want to be killed?

 

He realized that Flare was waiting for an answer, and he scrambled to think of an answer. "Actually… I haven't figured one out yet."

 

"How about Frosty?"

 

"'Frosty'?"

 

"Yeah, the humans have a legend about a being made of snow called Frosty. Most of your scales look like snow."

 

"Mmm, alright, I like the sound of that. Bit ironic though since I can breathe fire."

 

"You're a fire dragon too?"

 

Pythor nodded and turned his head to the edge of the path, took a deep breath, and let out a stream of blue fire into the air. After a couple seconds, he turned back to Flare and smiled.

 

"Impressive, there aren't many fire dragons who can breathe blue fire."

 

"Thank you. You know, you seem different from the other dragons I've encountered. You're very level-headed and smart."

 

"Well, it happens when you've lived around humans for about twenty years now. You wouldn't know it from my rider, Kai, though."

 

"Your rider?"

 

"Yes, we let humans ride on us. We fly them to places they need to go, they give us a place to stay, clean us, and feed us. Speaking of food, here comes Wisp."

 

A blue dragon came up to the mountain and landed in a clearing at the base of it. Pythor sighed as he knew that meant he'd have to walk down, but thankfully his cave wasn't too high up the path.

 

"I'll see you later today. I'm going to see my mate and get ready to hunt with her."

 

Pythor bid farewell as the fire dragon took off and started down the mountain. The journey down didn't tire him out as much as he expected it to, and he laid down as three bloody carcasses were nudged towards him. Pythor sniffed them and looked up at the lightning dragon who brought them.

 

"Are these for me?"

 

"Yep, three chewie goats. You haven't eaten since you've gotten here, correct?"

 

Actually, he couldn't even remember the last time he ate. He hadn't been given breakfast the day he was abducted, and dinner before that was small and it tasted awful. He didn't know if time in the cloud kingdom moved differently than in Ninjago, but assuming it didn't, it had probably been several days since he's last eaten.

 

"I actually haven't eaten in a while." Pythor sniffed the goats again, and before he knew what he was doing, he picked one up in his mouth and bit down into it. As he crushed the bones and muscles beneath his sharp teeth, the blood and organs spilled across his tongue and lit up every taste bud on it.

 

He rumbled as he closed his eyes and swallowed the goat, and then snatched up the other two and ate them as well. Pythor licked his lips and sat up straight, letting out a sigh as he relaxed and opened his eyes.

 

"I really appreciate this Wisp, thank you. This certainly makes up for the poor sleep I got."

 

"It's the least I could do. How come you didn't sleep well?"

 

"I slept on solid rock and had a hard time curling up because of my wing. It still hurts, and so does my neck."

 

"I'll see if I can gather things to make a nest for you."

 

"You'd do that?"

 

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to sleep on something hard if I was hurt. Maybe Crest will be interested in helping too."

 

"Who's that?"

 

"Crest is a water dragon that Nya found a couple of months ago. He really seems to like the girl for some reason."

 

"Well, thank you for that."

 

Wisp smiled and laid down in the grass, and Pythor did the same. Pythor released a puff of air from his nostrils and let his muscles relax as he felt the chewie goats settling in his stomach. If the dragons were this friendly with each other and were well taken care of, then he could really get used to this.

 

"Flare told me that he allowed a human to ride him. Is that a common thing around here? Flying humans around?"

 

"Well, sort of. Flare and Kai are really close, like father and son, so they like traveling around a lot, or at least, they did. Kai hasn't been around Lloyd or either of the monasteries really for about six months now. Plus, Flare and Fria had their children hatch a while ago, and they have been raising them freely since they haven't had to quell any big uprisings lately."

 

"They don't see each other anymore? How come?"

 

"Well, Kai will actually come to check up on Flare from time to time, but other than that, we don't see him. I think he's doing some fighting thing. He's taken the loss of Zane really, really hard. Zane was the master of ice, and he was Fria's rider. His death hurt Fria so much. She often doesn't leave her cave much. I'm worried about her."

 

"What happened to Zane?"

 

Pythor felt his chest tightening as he asked that, and his speaking shook slightly as well. If Wisp or anyone found out the serpentine who killed Zane was among them, he didn't know what he would do.

 

"Seven months ago, a powerful demon named Sköll, more commonly known as the overlord, rose in the form of a… umm… virus or something after the ninja defeated him about three years prior. They almost defeated him by cutting the power to the city, but an anacondrai named Pythor stole something the overlord was residing in and enabled him to reactivate. Sköll stole Lloyd's golden power and used it to regain a physical form, then he and Pythor began attacking the city."

 

Wisp looked at the ground as his voice started cracking and his eyes began to water.

 

"The ninja were ensnared, but Zane managed to avoid being caught. The ninja helped him get to Sköll, and Zane… he grabbed the golden armor. No one person can wield all four of the golden weapons, and this armor was made up of two sets of them. Zane… he… he used that power to amplify his own, and he sent Sköll's body to absolute zero, shattering him. Zane was… he… he was blown apart. Nothing was left."

 

He could only watch as Wisp wept and laid his head down on his wings, and felt his chest tightening even more. Pythor's own eyes started to water, and before he knew it, he had stepped over to Wisp and laid down next to him, resting his scales against the lightning dragon's.

 

After about 10 minutes, Wisp's breathing slowed down and became more steady, and he lifted his head up to look at Pythor.

 

"Thank you. Do you have a name I can call you?"

 

"Frosty." Pythor answered, and smiled when Wisp just stared at him. "Flare's idea."

 

"Ah." Wisp snorted and looked up when he heard wings flapping, as did Pythor, and both saw a large brown, black, and orange dragon landing in the main courtyard in front of the monastery. "Hey, Terra's back!"

 

Wisp took off in that direction, and Pythor eventually made his way over as well, where he saw Cole and Skalidor talking with Lloyd.

 

"Hey Cole, it's good to see you again, you too Skalidor. How's Samuel doing?" Lloyd asked as he hugged them.

 

"Our son is doing really great. He's already starting to walk and point to things. Thanks for coming to his first birthday party, kid."

 

Skalidor is a father of two now? Pythor sighed as he heard his former friend talk about his newborn child and hung his head. He started pawing at the dirt until he heard someone coming up to him and sat upright.

 

"Hey there, I'm Cole. I gotta say, you're a very large dragon. I think you're about as big as Terra here, or bigger even."

 

Pythor looked up at the dragon that was now sitting about in the courtyard and had her head tilted at him with her bright orange eyes looking him over. She came over and walked around him, making him tense up slightly as she sniffed him and brushed her tail against him.

 

"You're new huh?" She asked as she sat in front of him. "You smell familiar."

 

"Yes… sort of." He said, still keeping his head tilted low as he saw her looking at his scales and his head.

 

He lowered his head further and looked back at Cole, who had stepped closer to him, and he stepped away slightly.

 

"Uhh Cole, he's new around here, and he's still hurt. I wouldn't get too close to him.”

 

"You should listen to Lloyd, Cole." Pythor turned his head towards the voice and saw Garmadon coming over, and looking him right in the eyes. "Dragons are wild creatures. This one could be dangerous for all we know."

 

Pythor pulled his lips back and growled at the master, and Garmadon opened his mouth as if to say something, but Lloyd stepped between them.

 

"Dad, you don't need to imply things like that, and this dragon can understand you, you know?"

 

"I know he can."

 

"Even still, I don't think he appreciates you talking about him like that. Let's give him a chance and help him feel welcome, instead of alienated."

 

Lloyd came over to Pythor, who lowered his head closer to the ground. Pythor saw his arm moving and made sure to relax to send a good message to the others. Slowly, he put his hand on Pythor's snout and rubbed his scales, earning a soft rumble from the dragon. He chuckled when a warm puff of air ruffled his hair and he smiled up at him.

 

"Do you have a name?"

 

"Frosty."

 

"I like it, it really fits your white scales. They're very smooth and firm."

 

Oh, how he wished he could have spent more time with the boy when they were travelling together..

 

Cole coughed and cleared his throat. "Anyways, as nice as it is to see you again Lloyd and to meet you, Frosty, I am here on business with you and Wu."

 

"What kind of business?" Wu asked as he came up.

 

"The kind that concerns my employment with Skalidor and my volunteering with search and rescue. You can stop sending my father Wu's letters and your own, I'm not coming back.

 

"Wait? What's this about employment? You got a job?"

 

"Yes. I'm working for Skalidor. We build houses and treehouses for families to live in, and I'm actually happy doing it."

 

"I'm sorry Cole, this is quite surprising. We never knew." Garmadon said as he looked between him and Wu. "How long have you been working there?"

 

"About six months now, and I wanted to keep it that way. There's a reason I didn't tell you where I moved to."

 

"Cole, we've talked about this. Ninjago needs-"

 

"I don't care about Ninjago! What about what I need? Huh?!" Cole threw his arms up and stepped closer to him. "I'm almost 23 now, I'm allowed to make my own choices. You talk about the fate of Ninjago like it's something that only we can protect, when you don't even take into account the fact that we have police and an army."

 

"They can't handle everything you know."

 

"You think we can? Did you think that we'd be able to handle the death of one of our own? Zane gave his life for all of us, and now you're just telling us to get over it and to get back to training."

 

"That's not what we're-"

 

"'Cole, I understand that you are still in mourning and haven't been responding to my letters, but Ninjago needs you and the rest of the team back. There are still threats to the safety of Ninjago's inhabitants, and if you do not keep up with your training, then I fear you will not be prepared to face them. Please, come back. Zane would not want you to throw your life away.'"

 

The letter was immediately torn in half and thrown to the wind.

 

"'Zane wouldn't want'? You think you know what he wanted in life? You didn't even know what I wanted! I wanted to go to college to become a geologist and work to understand landslides and how to responsibly build without causing them! I wanted to work in search-and-rescue. I didn't want to wake up at 7 am every day to train with fucking wooden boards!"

 

"Cole, please watch the lang-"

 

" That's what you're focusing on, Wu?! My fucking language ?!"

 

Cole stepped away from the group as he panted heavily, and Lloyd came over to him to put a hand on his shoulder.

 

"Cole, what's wrong? We're listening to you, but what is it you're trying to say?"

 

"I'm saying that I'm done with this kind of life. I ran away from that dancing school my father sent me to because I didn't want that kind of life. I didn't see him for months because I was afraid he wouldn't respect my choices, and I almost lost him thanks to that damn anacondrai."

 

"You saved him though, you were able to fix your relationship with him and you unlocked your true potential."

 

"That's not the point, Lloyd. I replayed that scene in my mind for months. I didn't just want my father to respect my wishes, I wanted him to be a part of my life again." Cole turned around and stepped towards Wu. "Don't you see? You never prepared us for this. You never told us that we could die doing what we do. Zane was our family too, and he's gone now. His death made me realize that we won't live forever, and that I could either spend them training, never knowing if our next mission would be our last, or that I could spend them doing something that I actually enjoyed."

 

"Cole, please… don't go. We can talk this out." Garmadon said.

 

"There's nothing to talk about. We're done." Cole turned away and climbed onto Terra. Wu started to come over and speak up again, but Terra snapped her head and snarled at him.

 

"I wish you had never given me that damn scythe."

 

She immediately took off, the downburst of wind nearly blew off Wu's hat. Pythor stared at the shrinking form of the earth dragon as she flew off into the distance. No one said a word.

 

What have I done?

 

------------------------

 

[Three weeks later]

 

Pythor slithered down the streets of Quetzalcoatl, dressed in a large purple cloak with yellow highlights and gold trim across it, and he wasn’t white anymore, he was purple again; and he was also sitting in an open-air shaded carriage.

 

“You have got to be kidding me Murin, you seriously can’t wait the 20 or so minutes it will take us to get to the palace?” Pythor heard, and immediately recognized the voice as that of Arcturus. “This is just embarrassing for you.”

 

“Sir, we’ve been travelling for days now after meeting with the venomari general, and we haven’t eaten in a while.” Murin protested.

 

“Breakfast was four hours ago.” Arcturus reminded.

 

“Both of you shut up, we don’t need to argue in front of these peasants.” A different voice said, one that immediately made Pythor stiffen up. “Corra’s stand is just up ahead. Murin, grab some stuff from there and make do till we get in the palace. Grab some for me too.”

 

“Very well my lord.” Murin said and slithered ahead of the group, the anacondrai general grabbed a crate of fruit right off the stand, and the venomari behind it immediately came out from behind it to protest.

 

“Hey! You can’t keep doing this! You can’t just keep stealing food and products right from off our stands!” Corra said and came out to confront them. “You do this all the time! Please stop, we’re losing money because of how much you take.”

 

“It seems we must remind you again Corra.” Nota, another of the anacondrai generals, warned as he pointed a spear at her, the blade an inch away from her throat. “All resources and products produced within Quetzalcoatl’s city limits have priority to the royal family and anacondrai army first. If either of them decide they want a product from inside these walls they are entirely in their power to take it. Stand down venomari, your brother is not here to protect you now.”

 

“You’re supposed to protect all of the serpentine, not treat them all like your slaves and steal from them!” Corra said and tried to grab her crate, only to cry out as the flat side of the blade was smacked into her face, drawing blood that trickled down her face.

 

“YOU WILL NOT BE TOLD AGAIN!" He yelled and held the blade right over her face, before suddenly jabbing her right in the gut with the base of the spear. “The rest of you serpentine; hypnobrai, fangpyre, constrictai, venomari, even pyro vipers, are worth nothing. You serve us remember? Be it food, weapons, ores, gold, even females such as yourself, you provide us with anything we desire! Tell me peasant… have you forgotten that disobedience to an anacondrai is punishable by death?”

 

Corra had been forced back onto her hands and knees again, and her face was held firmly against the dirt by the base of the spear on her head. Pythor breath shook as he watched a fellow serpentine be degraded once again, and he didn’t need the gaze of the anacondrai behind him to feel paralyzed. Tears welled up in his eyes and threatened to roll down his scales, just like those of the venomari as she looked around for anyone to help, and he saw her look right at him, and open her mouth to speak, but the general holding her down wasn’t having any of that.

 

“I asked you a question missy, do not make me repeat myself…” He hissed, and turned the spear around to scrape the blade against her face, drawing blood once again from the girl.

 

“No…” She said, voice barely more than a whimper.

 

“Louder!” Nota hissed again, and whipped her with his tail when her volume was still inadequate, even though Pythor could clearly hear it. “I SAID LOUDER! MAKE SURE EVERY SERPENTINE HERE KNOWS THE PUNISHMENT FOR DEFYING THE ANACONDRAI! MAKE THEM KNOW JUST WHAT YOU ARE!”

 

Before Pythor could so much as glance in their direction and open his mouth, a voice from behind him froze him in place and made his breathing pick up.

 

“Pythor, don’t you dare think about speaking to them, don’t even look at them. Eyes forward!” The anacondrai hissed in his ear, and Pythor would not dare defy him, he couldn’t… or else he’d be forced to suffer the same treatment Corra was. “And wipe your eyes child, you will not show any weakness, any vulnerability to these peasants, do you understand?!”

 

“I AM NOTHING, WE ARE NOTHING! WITHOUT THE ANACONDRAI WATCHING OVER US, WE ARE AS GOOD AS DEAD, AND THAT IS ALL WE WILL BE IF WE THINK WE ARE BETTER THAN THEM! THE ANACONDRAI GIVE US SAFETY, AND WE GIVE THEM ANYTHING THEY DESIRE! IF WE DEFY THEM IN ANY WAY, THEN OUR LIVES WILL BE GIVEN TO THEM TO REMIND US OF HOW GRATEFUL WE SHOULD BE TO HAVE THEM!” Corra wept as she yelled, and Pythor could only do as he was told, and turned his head forward to ignore the broken venomari. “Forgive me General Nota, please forgive me for my disobedience. Thank you for reminding me of my place…”

 

Pythor heard Nota chuckle as the venomari wept over the dirt, and he shuddered as he then heard dirt be swept up right into her face as he was powerless to do anything about it. Pythor opened his eyes as the convoy continued onwards towards the palace, and he resisted the temptation to look back at the venomari as she still cried, an effort made all the more easy when the stern voice behind him returned.

 

“Listen here boy, you know damn well you are not supposed to look at those who are not anacondrai, and this is the last time I will remind you.” He said, and Pythor shuddered as he felt the gaze digging into his back. “If I catch you looking at them one more time, you won’t have to worry about seeing them, because I’ll make sure all you see are stars. Wake up, boy."

 

----------

 

“Hey! Wake up!"

 

Pythor's eyes snapped open and he looked around, finding himself in his cave and still as a dragon. He blinked his eyes a few times and his vision cleared up more, finding a blue dragon standing close to him.

 

"Are you alright? That looked really rough."

 

Pythor panted quickly as his heart pounded in his chest, and he laid his head back down on the stone beneath him. He looked past Wisp and saw that it was still dark out, it was probably the middle of the night.

 

"I guess."

 

"Do you… want to talk about it?"

 

Pythor frowned slightly as he looked up at him. He had only been here three weeks, and everyone except Garmadon and Fria had welcomed him openly, especially Wisp and Terra. How could he tell him about his nightmare without him exposing himself?

 

"I don't know…" He said and crossed his forelegs under him.

 

Wisp looked at him and walked over to lay down next to him.

 

"Is something wrong? I've noticed you seem like you're in pain lately. It's not your wing is it?"

 

"No, my wing does still hurt some, but that's not why."

 

He glanced over at him, and saw his bright yellow eyes gazing into his. There was so much compassion, curiosity, and energy behind him. He was hoping for an answer, and he cringed as he looked away.

 

His eyes opened when he felt his head rubbing and nuzzling up against his neck and head, and he looked back over at him.

 

"I think you do want to tell me, but… why are you afraid?"

 

"Be… because then you'll treat me just like Garmadon."

 

He pulled his head back and gaped at him. "What? No. No. I wouldn't. I don't know what his problem is with you, but he needs to treat you better, especially in your state."

 

"You have no idea what you're talking about…" He muttered as he looked at him. "If you knew the truth about me, you'd understand why he does."

 

"So you just assume that I'll be the same way, you won't even give me a chance? Alright." He asked, and scoffed as he got up to walk away.

 

Pythor's eyes widened and he sat up straight. "Wait… you're right! I do want to tell you! I'm just… I'm just scared. Please… don't go, Wisp…"

 

He stopped and lowered his head as he looked back at him.

 

"I came in here when I heard you thrashing around and growling. I was worried about you. I could tell you were in distress. Please don't make assumptions about me."

 

"I was wrong to do that. Please, come back over. I'll… I'll tell you what's bothering me. I promise."

 

He did and laid down beside him, and he laid down as well, gently leaning against him and feeling the warmth of his body in his own.

 

"Frosty… Frosty isn't my real name."

 

"I know, Flare gave it to you because you didn't have one."

 

"No. I do have one, and it's one you might already know." He said, and flinched as a tear ran down his scales. "It's… it's Pythor. Pythor Acryla."

 

"Wait… what?” He jerked his head back. “You mean, Pythor, as in the anacondrai serpentine who tried to kill my rider's family and took away their friend?"

 

He clenched his eyes tighter and put his paws on his snout as more tears streamed down his face.

 

"Yes. See what I meant?"

 

"So that's who you are… and why you smelled familiar to me." He said.

 

Pythor's eyes opened when he felt him licking his face and head. "Wha… what are you doing? Why aren't you angry?"

 

"Because… to be honest. I don't know why. I feel like I should be, but I don't feel like you're a bad person right now. Call it a gut feeling."

 

"I could be acting, you know."

 

"Pythor, I've seen the way you've looked at Lloyd, Nya, and Cole, especially when Cole was upset with Garmadon and Wu. I don't feel like you were acting then. I saw in your eyes that you were regretful for something, even though I didn't know what."

 

"You and the others have been so nice to me… it hurt to not be honest with you… with someone ." He said as he nuzzled his head and licked his snout. "I just wanted someone to trust, someone that I could just talk to."

 

“I think there's someone else you could talk to. Come on, follow me.” Wisp got up and headed out of the cave.

 

“Are we going to see Terra? I want to tell her too.” Pythor quickly got to his feet and followed him.

 

“Yes, we are. There's going to be a meteor shower this morning and she wanted to stay up to watch it with Crest and I.”

 

“Oh, hey.” He said when he saw the blue and white water dragon sitting outside. “Could you… uh… hear us in there?”

 

“Yes, sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop.”

 

“It's okay, I'm glad you know. I just wonder how I'll tell Terra.”

 

“I think you should just be honest and open. I'm sure she'd appreciate it.”

 

Pythor nodded and followed them to a grassy clearing next to a small pond. “You didn't say we'd be next to a body of water.”

 

“Is that a problem?” Wisp asked.

 

“Not really, I'm… a little scared around large bodies of water. This is okay though.”

 

“Oh, hey, Frosty. How come you're scared?” Terra asked.

 

“I'd rather not say.” He said and sniffed a little. “I need to tell you something else though, something that I've been wanting to do for a long time.”

 

She tilted her head. “Really? What is it?”

 

He tried to swallow the lump in his throat. “I… I'm actually… I… dammit… I'm Pythor. The anacondrai who tried to… hurt your friends.”

 

“Are you serious? You… you've been here this whole time?”

 

He took a breath and looked up at her face. “Yes. I… I wanted to tell you the truth now because I just had a nightmare and it reminded me of something. I also wanted to do this because… because you've been so nice to me, and I didn't want to lie to you anymore about who I was.”

 

“You know why I'm having trouble believing this, right?”

 

“I do. I want to say that I'm sorry, I am. I know those two words may just be words, but I want them to be more than that. I want to show that I really am sorry. Garmadon told me that the longer a fruit is allowed to spoil, the worse it tastes, so I want to put that into practice.”

 

“Well, I guess if Wisp believes you, that's good enough for me. I trust him. How long have you known, Wisp?”

 

“Only 10 minutes. Pythor here was afraid to tell me, but he was sincere. He actually asked to tell you.”

 

“You did?”

 

“Yes. I'm sorry for not saying this sooner. I didn't know how to, and I was scared.”

 

“Well, I appreciate you telling me, and for being willing to look me in the face as you did.”

 

Crest came over and patted Pythor on the side. “See? I told you.”

 

“Thanks for the pep talk. Now, how about we watch these meteors?”

 

“Sounds good to me.” Wisp said, and laid down.

 

---------

 

Terra turned around and went to lay down next to a tree, and Pythor followed her to get away from the water.

 

“Tonight sure is nice, huh?” He said, laying down next to her.

 

“Yeah, it really is. It's even better when it's shared with the company of nice people.” She smiled, and he found himself smiling back at her.

 

“I’ve been hiding for so long. Ever since the great devourer was killed, I’ve never been able to show my face to anyone. But now that you three know, I feel happy. I get to watch a meteor shower under dark skies in the mountains with people I can call friends.”

“Can’t get this view in the city.” Crest said, and Pythor let out a hearty laugh.

“No you can’t! The air also feels a lot better here. It’s nice, crisp, and has a cool quality that just feels great against my scales. Not like the cold and stale air that was in Kryptarium Prison.”

 

“We were told what kind of place you were put in in prison, and now that I think about it, I can imagine it must have been hard on you in prison. I don't think anyone deserves that kind of treatment.” Wisp said.

 

“I don't know about that.” He sighed and put his head in his paws.

 

“I mean it, Pythor. It would have been more merciful to kill you. I'm sorry I'm saying it like that, but I couldn't imagine not knowing what the time was, only that I'm going to die some day, and not know when.”

 

He looked up at the stars. “For me, it was like when we were stuck in the tombs, at least in there we had other serpentine to talk to. Still, no one was able to see the stars. Imagine describing that to children who were hatched underground, but that would never get to see them. Especially when… food started running low.. No one else has thought about what it was like. Thank you.”

 

“I guess it feels good to let it all out, huh?” Terra said.

 

“It does, yes.” He said and leaned over to nuzzle her while pulling himself closer to her and the others. "I think you might be too forgiving." 

 

"Maybe so, but dragons like us have a great sense of intuition about things."

 

"My nightmare was about something from my past. I… remembered someone from my kingdom being hurt and not being able to do anything about it because of my parents. It still eats me up how I let others suffer."

 

"Oh, I see. I feel like you aren't like that now though. You feel better."

 

"Garmadon said the same thing. He's still really rough to me. Can't say I blame him though."

 

"I don't think you deserve to be treated like you are." Crest said.

 

"Thanks. I kind of want to tell the others." Pythor said, but Wisp shook his head.

 

"I don't think that's a good idea. Flare, Fria, and Gale will likely kill you if you tell them. They probably won't forgive you. The same goes for the ninja."

 

“Yeah. I appreciate honesty, but sometimes letting it all out isn't the best idea. You can be honest to a fault.” Crest added. Pythor frowned and looked down at the ground, but Terra craned her head up and nuzzled him.

 

"Don't worry, we'll give you a chance. You can trust us."

 

"Thank you, Terra. That's really nice of you. I’m really happy I can be myself now, at least more than I was before."

 

"Of course, it's no problem."

 

“You know, I'm really having fun tonight. This is a nice hatchday for me.”

Wisp jerked his head up. “It’s your hatchday?! Why didn’t you say anything earlier?!”

Pythor snorted. “What would you have done? Baked me a giant cake?”

Wisp opened his mouth and lifted a claw, only to let it fall. “Okay, good point. Still, I would have tried to do something.”

 

“Well, I was under a lot of stress and anxiety.” He chuckled. “I think I'm going to enjoy staying here. Well, I hope I can.”

 

“Why wouldn't you be able to?”

 

“Garmadon wants me gone as soon as I'm healed up.”

 

“You don't have to leave, you know? I like you. So do they.” Terra said.

 

“Maybe. I don’t know. Maybe I can talk things over more with Garmadon. Or, maybe I could reach out to Wu and-”

 

BOOM!

 

“GAH!” Pythor shrieked, jumping up, along with the others. “What was that?”

 

“A meteorite.” Crest said. “It landed several meters away. We're lucky it didn't hit us.”

 

“Oh cool! I've never seen one in person before! I love space stuff. But man… that was close.”

 

“I'll say. Scared the living daylights out of me.” Terra said.

 

Wisp perked up and went over to the meteorite. “Hey, Pythor, I just figured out the perfect gift for your hatchda- OW! HOT! HOT! HOT!”

He jumped up and flew over to the lake, sinking his paws in the water and sighing, only to look back when he heard everyone snickering. “Yeah yeah, laugh all you want.”

Pythor chuckled as his laughter died down, and he rested his head on his paws. “I appreciate it, Wisp. Maybe I’ll kiss your paws to make you feel better.

“You’ll have to take that up with Terra there.” He said, the dragon in question shrugging.

“Well, I think I’m going to turn in for the night. Wake me if any meteors are heading for me.”

 

"Will do, Pythor. Sweet dreams~" Crest sighed, resting his head down as well.

Chapter 3: I'm Knot Leaving

Summary:

Spending more time with his new dragon friends, Pythor makes the "mistake" of having a wet dream right next to a dragon in heat. Shenanigans ensue.

[10/13/15]

 

It was blazing hot out in the busy city of Myonlac, and Pythor walked his hessian shepherd cara through the streets without a leash. He knew where he was going.

 

“Ah, hello, Pythor. Lovely weather out today isn't it?” A constrictai said as he stepped up behind the the counter of his store.

 

“Oh yeah, it sure is.” He chuckled, rolling his eyes. “I'll take the large cookies and cream, and Cara will have vanilla.”

 

“Coming right up.”

 

He looked down at Cara, who was looking up at him with a glint in her eye and licking her lips. She lifted her tail slightly. “Not here, you'll get your cookie creamed back at the office.” He whispered, and she huffed, lowering it back down.

 

They soon got the ice cream, and he sat down at a table in a nearby park. He set her ice cream down on the ground for her to eat, while he eagerly licked his ice cream cone. He trailed his tongue all along the multiple scoops it had, and sighed as it picked up the sweet scents in the air.

 

The trees and flowers in the city were blooming, and the air was filled with an enticing earthy scent. He hummed as he licked more deeply into the cone, and its deep, powerful flavor filled his mouth. He pressed further forward, hissing at how good it was.

 

Suddenly, the air was enveloped in a deep groan, and the ice cream exploded in his face.

 

[][][][]

 

His eyes flickered open, and something black and brown filled his gaze. He couldn't make out the details, and his head spinning from a sweet scent filling his nostrils didn't help. As his vision gradually cleared, he saw a glistening fold in front of his eyes, and it took several seconds for him to realize it was Terra's slit.

 

And he had just licked her to orgasm in his sleep.

 

He screeched and scrambled away from her until he was standing back against the wall, his long, singular cock twitching in the air until he thought to cover it.

 

Terra was staring at him, the look in her eyes unclear to him. Wisp lowered his head to her ear and whispered under his breath. The look on her face softened as he talked to her and then… why was she grinning?

 

She got up and quickly pinned him to the wall, her paws pressing into his forepaws when he brought them up, unintentionally exposing his cock again. “I bet you thought that was real fun, huh? Licking inside me while pretending to be asleep.” She growled, bringing her head close to his neck.

 

“I-It w-was a-an accident. I swear! I was d-dreaming I was walking my-” He pleaded, stopping when he felt her sharp teeth pressing to his neck.

 

“Oh really, you were dreaming? Sure you were.” She said, biting down slightly on his neck and making him shudder.

 

He felt something warm pressing against his cock, and glanced down to see Wisp smirking up at him as he licked him. “You know Terra and I are mates, right? It's very wrong to get sexually involved with someone who is mated.”

 

Wisp opened his jaws, making sure to show his sharp teeth moving around his cock, and Pythor opened his mouth, only to gasp when a spark of lightning zapped it. He felt it tense up, then his whole body did when Terra leaned in close.

 

“What should we do with you?” Terra asked, licking up along Pythor's neck and trailing her tongue around his ear. “Should we… turn you in to Garmadon and Wu?” Wisp licked his cock, continually zapping it with electricity and making it twitch. “Should we… drive you out?” She leaned in even closer and whispered. “Or… should we fuck you silly?”

 

“What's it gonna be, Frosty?” Wisp asked, rubbing a paw inside Pythor's slit, making him groan and buck forwards.

 

“Fuck… fuck me silly.” He said, and Terra immediately pushed him to the ground, making him land on his back with a thud. Before he could even react, Terra had pounced on top of him, and positioned her pussy over his long cock.

 

She grinned, and with one fell swoop took him deep into her until her folds pressed against his knot. She began to lift herself up and push back down on him, all with a smug smile on her maw. Wisp had his own on as he straddled Pythor's neck, his long, black cock filling Pythor's vision.

 

“Start sucking.”

 

Pythor was more than happy to repay him for his kindness by quickly opening his maw. He took Wisp's cock into his mouth and began swirling his tongue around the bumps and ridges that riddled its surface.

 

Wisp growled and began thrusting into Pythor's mouth as Terra held onto his back, using him for support and more powerful bucks onto him. Pythor didn't mind this “punishment” one bit, and pushed himself even deeper onto Wisp's cock until he could flick his tongue into the sensitive flesh that lay inside his slit. “Fuck man… that feels… FUCK!” He snarled, bucking even harder when Pythor added a claw to rubbing his slit. A shot of pre landed on Pythor's tongue, and he bobbed his head even faster.

 

“What's going on in here?” Pythor heard Crest ask after stepping in.

 

“We're… mmmm… fuck yes… fuck…. Oh… we're punishing… Pythor for… eating me out while I was sleeping.” Terra grunted as she bucked down on Pythor even faster, wet schlicks echoing through the cave.

 

“Mind if I join in?”

 

“Not at… aAAAAAll…” She said, and pulled off of Pythor, turning herself around and taking Crest's rapidly growing blue cock into her mouth while she sank back down onto Pythor’s thick cock.

 

Pythor pressed his hindlegs to the ground and bucked up into Terra, grinding his scales against her rump. Her sweet pheromones were still filling the cave, her pussy like a warm glove wrapped around his cock, and he was “unlucky” enough to be the first to fill her! He could already imagine her belly swelling with his eggs inside her, her pushing them out, and them hatching beneath their bodies.

 

The fantasy fueled Pythor's thrusts, and he drove his cock even faster into her, with Terra reciprocating by grinding against him, her slit rubbing against his knot. Pythor ran his own tongue around Wisp's knot, humming and stroking it and his slit even faster with his claws.

 

Wisp snarled and grabbed Pythor's head, thrusting deep into his mouth and just into his throat as a torrent of thick, salty cum filled his mouth. Pythor rapidly jerked the base of his knot and diligently swallowed every drop, not letting a single bit escape the sides of his mouth.

 

Wisp stepped off and lowered his head to Pythor's, kissing him deeply as they split the cum between them. He pulled back, pecking Pythor on the snout and watched Terra's rump grind against Pythor's crotch while Crest happily thrust into her mouth, his tongue lolling out the side of his own.

 

Pythor grunted as Terra got tighter around him, clear fluids squirting out against his purple scales, the amount only growing as she dropped down harder and harder on him. He grinned and curled up, grabbing her tail and pushing her harder onto him, heavy pants leaving her mouth. Just several thrusts later, Pythor watched as the black folds of Terra's entrance slowly spread around his knot, pushing them ever so slightly wider and wider until…

 

POP!

 

An echoing noise filled the cave, drowned out only by Terra's roar as her pussy visibly tightened and squeezed around Pythor's cock, stroking it and milking it deeply. He hissed as the pressure was unleashed, and ground deeper in her until he felt the tip of his cock press to the opening of her cervix.

 

He added his own roar to hers, digging his claws deep into her rump and releasing a small jet of fire from his mouth, while his cock released a year's worth of pent up cum deep into her womb. He fell back, shuddering as rope after rope of dragon seed audibly splashed inside her innermost cavity, covering its walls and painting them white.

 

He opened his eyes slightly when he heard Crest snarl, and smiled at seeing his eyes clenched shut, and Terra gulping down his thick yet watery cum. The water dragon soon pulled off, and laid down at Pythor's side to watch his knot root pulsing as cum continued to fill up Terra.

 

“So, you ‘violated’ Terra, huh?” Crest asked, smirking.

 

“Yeah, I committed the cardinal sin of dreaming I was eating ice cream while not knowing that my face was buried in her slit.” He said, leaning up to rub her butt. “Damn was that a nice dream though.”

 

“A dream come true, I'd say.” Wisp said, licking Pythor's neck and making him sigh. The lightning dragon turned around and lowered his head to Pythor’s cock, licking inside his slit and Terra’s, making both dragons shudder and push closer together. Wisp smiled and let electricity jump between them, and Terra’s body clenched down more, squeezing another thick rope of seed into her.

 

“I love having dreams like that. It just feels like so much can happen in them. I have to admit, I’ve had them around Terra too when I was sleeping with them. It was really nice what we did afterwards.” Crest sighed, leaning back against the wall.

 

“Terra, I really love this view. Your scales back here, the way they curve over your beautiful muscles and glisten in the morning sun. I could really get used to this.”

 

“Oh, are you looking forward to more punishment?” She asked, wiggling against him and Wisp, making a soft growl leave their mouths.

 

“Actually, I'm looking forward to punishing you. I'm actually a dom.” He growled.

 

“Oh, well why don't you and Wisp both take your turns in me as soon as your knot goes down?”

 

“What is going on in he-” A voice said, and stopped. Pythor craned his head up and deadpanned when he saw Garmadon on the other side of Terra. The sensei glanced down at Pythor's knot sealing his cum inside her, and looked back up at him. “You're pushing your luck. You do realize Terra is in heat, and can become pregnant, right?”

 

Pythor opened his mouth, but Terra took the words right out of his mouth. “Oh fuck off, Garmadon. You can stop treating Pythor like crap. It was my idea and Wisp's to do this with him. If I carry his eggs, then so be it.”

 

“You know?”

 

“Yeah, he told us, just us because he wanted to be open and honest! And who are you to tell him who he can and can't fuck even if it’s consensual?”

 

“Exactly! Maybe he agreed to this because he wanted to feel something with someone, to have friends and do something fun with them!” Wisp snapped.

 

“Why don't you go fuck off so we can fuck each other? Go on, shoo.” Crest said, waving his claw, secretly creating a ball of water above Garmadon.

“Well, looks like I’m knot leaving.” Pythor said and snickered.

 

Garmadon opened his mouth, only to grunt when a deluge of water poured all over him from above, completely soaking his clothes and flattening his hair. He looked up at Crest, who was doubled over backwards in laughter, and even gave him the “middle claw”. Garmadon turned around and left without another word.

 

“Oh Quetzalcoatl, that was hilarious!” Pythor roared, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. “I love you three so much.” He sighed and leaned back again to admire the view of Terra's pussy tied snugly around his cock.

 

[][][][]

 

An hour later, and Pythor's knot had finally deflated enough for Terra to pull off of him, and a torrent of cum poured out onto his scales while simultaneously painting Terra's scales white.

 

“Fuck, that looks delicious.” Pythor growled and sat up, watching as Crest took position behind Terra. He looked back at Pythor, who smiled and waved him on. Crest smiled back, and reared himself up onto Terra's back, sinking his cock into her soaked slit.

Pythor lied down behind Wisp and watched with interest as Crest pushed deep into her, and began quickly thrusting into the earth dragon, steadily rocking her back and forth. Pythor licked his mouth as Crest’s blue cock spread her hot pink folds wide open, making cum drip down their scales, and already he was wishing he was back inside her.

 

Crest blew hot steam out of his nostrils and pressed his paws to Terra's haunches, rubbing her and making her buck back into him. Pythor and Wisp watched as Crest’s deep blue and bright, white scales rubbed firmly into those on Terra’s rear, only to separate as a mixture of pre, cum, and vaginal juices dripped to the ground. The cycle repeated itself as their movements remained steady yet fast, each thrust making a wet “plap” sound out.

 

“You know I can feel that, right?” Wisp asked, smirking up at him.

 

Pythor smirked back and rubbed his cock against the scales on his back. “You know, I was actually hoping to dp her with you. Look at Crest, his water element is making his cock so wet. I bet you could use yours to make us feel even better, plus, with my apparent fire element, I can add heat to it.”

 

“Dude, you have no idea what you're in for.” He grinned.

 

Terra let soft pants leave her mouth as she looked back at Crest, who had taken her neck into his teeth and thrust even faster into her. He twisted his tail around hers, growling into her ear and making her even more wet. They were done going nice and slow, and were now rutting like feral beasts. Crest had his chin pressed to the back of Terra's neck, grinding against her thicc muscles, and the wet slaps that filled the cave came even faster now.

 

Terra's claws gripped the dirt and stone floor of the cave as her jaw shook, her breaths getting deeper and deeper until she buckled and clenched down on his cock. She released a broken roar from her mouth and pushed back into him, her pussy quivering and contracting around him like she had Pythor’s as pale white droplets spurted out from around him and onto their scales.

 

"O-Oh Crest… y-you…" She gasped as he bucked into her harder, almost hilting his cock inside her. Every thrust he made into her was accompanied by an even louder slap from their scales hitting each other. Pythor's paw stroked his twitching cock as he listened to the sounds and watched Terra's slit being parted. He wished he could join in again, to feel Terra's blissful warmth around him, and fill her with his own.

 

Aided by her earlier orgasm, Crest's thrusts became faster and harder, rapid pants leaving his mouth as he clenched his teeth and ground against her. He humped into her several more times, each one getting closer and closer until he spread her wide one final time. He held her tight and his roar echoed through the valley as his cock rolled forwards with his cum. Crest's legs trembled as his cock audibly pumped fresh, hot dragon seed into her body, the fertile cum mixing with Pythor's in her womb and making her stomach swell some.

 

“Hey… uhhh… Pythor? If you're really itching to go again and can't wait, I could… help you out.”

 

He looked down at Wisp, and the lightning dragon's yellow eyes peered back into him. Pythor smiled. “Awww, what the heck? Let's do it.”

 

Pythor's heart swelled again when Wisp beamed, and the lightning got up to lie down next to Crest and Terra, who had turned so that they were facing away from each other. Wisp rolled onto his back, and Pythor lied down over his stomach, positioning his cock at Wisp’s tailhole. He slowly pushed in, making the dragon sigh and hold Pythor tightly. Pythor leaned down and caressed Wisp’s head, and both dragons opened their mouths to kiss each other as Pythor sank inside him.

Pythor wrestled with Wisp’s tongue as he began thrusting inside him, soft growls leaving their mouths as they held each other tightly. Wisp’s scales felt so smooth, and Pythor just couldn’t get enough of running his paws over them. Just like Crest had with Terra, Pythor wrapped his tail intimately around Wisp’s, bringing their hearts and souls closer together. He pressed deeper into the kiss while simultaneously thrusting faster into Wisp’s tight and warm hole.

 

Suddenly, Pythor jerked and involuntarily hilted Wisp. He pulled out of the kiss, and Wisp was laughing. “Oh man, you did not see that coming.”

Pythor snorted. “No, I didn’t. Damn it feels good though.” He resumed thrusting into Wisp, still shuddering whenever he surprised him with his vibrating walls. The dragon’s throbbing black cock became pressed between the two dragon’s underbellies, and Pythor got the idea to fill his own with heat, making Wisp groan deeply.

 

Pythor pulled his neck back so he could take in Wisp’s entire body. The dragon’s blue, black, white, and yellow scales were just as beautiful as Terra’s, and if he was really going to stay here, he was going to love rubbing up against them every day. “Thanks for sticking up for me to Garmadon.”

“No problem, buddy. You’re part of the family now.” Wisp panted.

“You really mean that?”

“Of course. We’d love to have you be part of our relationship, if you’re up for it.” Terra said, and looked back at Pythor with a warm glow in her orange eyes.

Pythor smiled, and actually felt tears washing down his scales, which he quickly wiped away. “Thank you.”

He picked up the pace inside him, and took him back into a kiss as he began pressing his knot to the dragon’s hole. Wisp was throbbing even harder, and Wisp was even thrusting up to get Pythor inside him. His knot soon squeezed into him with a soft pop, and Wisp snarled into the kiss, bucking wildly as his cock began spewing cum. Pythor immediately broke the kiss, jaws open to catch the seed, although most of it just ended up streaking onto his face.

“Fuck, buddy, I really think I’m going to enjoy this.” Wisp sighed as Pythor ground inside him, huffing as his own cock throbbed even harder. “Let it go buddy, fill me up~”

Wisp began buzzing around him, and Pythor collapsed onto Wisp, bucking harder and harder as the electricity stimulated him. Pythor grabbed Wisp tighter and pushed as deep into him as he could get, and began filling his bowels with hot cum.

 

“Yessss… fuck… that is so good.” Pythor panted, and ground against him.

 

“Told you~” Wisp panted, and wrapped his legs around Pythor's body. “Think you got enough in you for one last round?”

 

“Definitely, I got plenty left in me. I didn’t cum at all in Kryptarium Prison.” He said, nuzzling up to him and hugging him tightly.

 

“Good. I can't wait.” Wisp looked up at Terra and Crest's connected bodies, and Pythor did the same, both admiring how tightly they were pressed together.

 

“I never get tired of that view. I loved watching dragons mate back when I was younger. I always felt a connection to them even then.”

 

“And now you're one of us. Welcome to the club.” Crest said, smiling back at Pythor.

 

“How does she feel to you, buddy?”

 

“Oh she is amazing. She's squeezing and twitching around me, and I can feel her pulling little bits of cum into her. I am loving every second of it.”

 

“And we get to watch it for every one.” Wisp said.

[][][][][][]

 

About 50-plus minutes later, Pythor was finally able to pull out of Wisp. He watched as his cum bubbled out of the tight hole and ran down the black scales on his underbelly and tail.

 

A few minutes later, Crest leaned forwards and pulled out of Terra, another wet pop filling the cave as his cock swung free, streaming cum onto the cave floor. Pythor couldn't resist stepping forwards and running his tongue up and down her slit, tasting the mixture of juices.

 

“So, how are we going to do this?” He asked.

 

“How about with Wisp on his back and you on top of me?”

 

“I like that idea.” Wisp said, and Terra nodded. He stayed where he was, his black cock twitching in the air, the late morning sun illuminating the bead of pre on its tip and the cum shimmering on it.

 

Terra walked and crouched over him, and Pythor carefully mounted her. He nuzzled the earth dragon as he pushed his cock into her soaked pussy, the motion pushing Wisp's in with it. All three of them moaned together, as they pushed closer to one another. Pythor panted, Terra's heat combining with Wisp's was already making him throb. He nodded at the lightning dragon, and they both started thrusting in her slit, see-sawing back and forth.

 

“Fuck… this feels better than I could have ever imagined~” Terra groaned, her eyes lidding and her tongue spilling out. She smiled when Wisp locked his jaws with her, and gasped when Pythor bit her neck again.

 

Pythor grunted when Wisp started channeling electricity through his cock, and the sensations brought from pressing against it made him buck hard into Terra. He panted and moved heat into his cock, the other two dragons moaning at the feeling.

 

Wisp did not let up with his element, every minute that they bred was one of pleasure. But what felt like an hour of bliss turned out to be just 6 short minutes. Terra soon clamped down on their cocks, spraying them with her juices and both of them instinctually hilted her. With a stroke of luck, Pythor hilted her first, and Wisp's expanding knot pressed against the root of Pythor's, sealing him in with him. An arc of electricity buzzed through his cock, and he roared with Wisp as their cocks pumped a fresh load of cum deep into her womb.

 

Unlike the actual fucking itself, their orgasms were long and hard, liters and liters of cum being pumped inside her womb to combine with those already deposited. Pythor curled his head to look down at her growing belly, swollen so much from the cum that it looked like she was gravid with eggs.

 

His heart swelled with pride at the sight of her belly and he ground in her, his cock still squirting cum in her every now and then. He soon turned around so that he could get the pleasure of feeling their rumps pressing against each other, and that pleasure only intensified when Crest put his paws on Pythor’s back, and he lifted his tail to the side without hesitation. Crest effortlessly slid into Pythor’s tailhole and began thrusting quickly into him. He looked up at Crest, who smiled and licked at the underside of his neck, making Pythor press backwards into him and Terra.

 

Before long, Pythor felt Crest pop inside of him, and growled as the dragon’s cum filled his body, and the feeling of Crest’s teeth sinking into Pythor’s neck made a thick burst of cum fill Terra’s passage. Crest turned around, so that he was now lying over Terra’s back again, and Pythor took the chance to admire Terra’s body again.

“How do I look?” Terra asked, grinning when she caught his gaze.

“I think you’re really pretty, and I love how your belly looks. I never would have imagined you could hold so much cum in you.” He said. “Think you’re going to carry eggs?”

“With this much cum in my body, no doubt about it. Are you looking forward to it?”

“Yeah… I… I haven’t had children for a long time. I… I really missed raising and taking care of kids and loving them. I want to be here for them, and for you when you deliver them.”

“You will be, Pythor. We won’t let anything happen to you.” She promised.

 

------------------------

 

[1 week later]

 

“ After the Blackout, I am ready for the light!

Then the lights came on! Brighter than ever before!

Can you see them shine?

Go Ninja! Go, go Ninja!

Won't let them fade! This city's meant for much more!

Gotta hear us shout! Go Ninja! Go, go Ninja!”

Pythor smiled and bobbed his head to the music playing on the radio as Lloyd and Gale did the same next to him. As soon as the song ended, he turned to the young ninja and smiled at him. “I must say, you humans sure do have great taste in music.”

 

“Thanks. The Fold is a really great band based out of Ninjago. They're actually close friends of ours.”

 

“I can certainly see why.”

 

“What kind of music do you like?”

 

“Eh, I like music without vocals for the most part. Not that those with them aren't good, but I just like listening to melodies and instruments, learning who people are through their love for music.” “I wish I knew who I was though.” He thought to himself.

 

“So do I. I love historical and cultural songs too. It's so nice listening to stories told through music, learning who people are through their passion for it.” Gale said, nuzzling him, and he sheepishly looked away from her, giving her the opportunity to lick and nibble at his neck. Pythor shuddered and squirmed as he subconsciously extended it, and she leaned into him more before he could stop her.

 

“Well, I'm glad you liked the song. Maybe once you're able to fly or change form, we can go see them live.” Lloyd said and got up, a sly smile on his face. “I think I'm going to hit the training yard. My father and Wu were wanting me to do some more working out anyways.”

 

As soon as he was gone, and before Pythor could ask him to stay, he found himself pushed onto his back with Gale standing overtop of him. A deep, toothy grin lit up her face, and she leaned down close to his.

 

“Don't think I haven't noticed you sniffing the air around me or looking at my tail for the past few days.” She growled, and slowly trailed her tongue along his neck, making him breathe heavier and grab her body. “I've been waiting for you to mount me and fuck me wild like you have Terra, even lifting my tail for you, but you just seem too shy. But that's alright, I like shy.”

 

The next thing Pythor knew, she had turned around, and before he could tell her he didn't feel comfortable doing this, her rump smothered his snout. He felt her paws grabbing his cock and her long tongue curling around his shaft. Her scent was just as overpowering as Terra’s, and he was already feeling the temptation to eat her out and mount her. He… he couldn’t let this go on. He had to tell her, even if it meant the death of him.

“Gale. Please stop. I don’t feel comfortable doing this with you.” He spoke telepathically, and she picked her head and rump up.

“What? Why? Are you and the others in a closed relationship?”

“No, i-it’s not that. I… I’m not who you think I am, and… and I… I can’t have sex with you without you knowing who I really am.” He said, and closed his eyes as he scooted away from her. “My… my… My name is actually… Py-Pythor.”

He yelped as she spun around in one single jump, pressing her claws into his shoulders and slamming him into the floor of the cave. Her teeth were once again at his throat, but this time hovering right over the arteries in his neck that if severed, would have him bleed to death in minutes, if not seconds. The most demonic sounding noise he had ever heard now came out of her mouth as her teeth pressed into the scales on his neck. He could feel blood leaking out of her bite.

 

“Give me one good fucking reason why I shouldn’t rip your fucking throat out right here and now.” She muttered through her teeth.

“I-I don’t want to die.” He whimpered.

“Neither did Lloyd, Zane, Kai, Nya, or any of my fucking friends! So you better try again. And you had better think real good about it.”

He whimpered again and tried to move away, but she pressed down even tighter. She wouldn’t believe him talking about the scribes of destiny. What could he say? Dammit, Pythor! Think! Think you fucking idiot!

“I… don’t have another one. Please Gale, I’m sorry! I couldn’t go through with it, I couldn’t just lie back and let you take my eggs into you. I didn’t want to! It wasn’t right! Please! I want to be a better person! Please don’t kill me…”

Several minutes passed, and with each second, he feared she would close her jaws and kill him right then and there. Finally, she opened her mouth, and he gasped for a breath that he didn’t realize he had been holding. She didn’t speak a word to him, she didn’t even look at him. She just turned around and walked to the cave entrance.

“Wait! Please! Don’t tell Lloyd, Flare, Fria, or any of the ninja! Please, Gale! I’m too afraid of what they’ll do to me! I promise I won’t hurt Lloyd or anyone else! I don’t want to be that person anymore! Please, promise me you won’t tell them!”

She stopped walking, but only for a second, and continued out of the cave. Pythor watched her leave, and whimpered as he sat back against the cave wall, holding his tail close to his chest. Was she going to tell them? What was she going to do?

He wasn’t sure if he was more afraid now or when she had nearly ripped his throat out.

Chapter 4: Fight and Flight

Summary:

Pythor is taught how to fly by his dragon friends, but his identity is now exposed, and he has to slither for his life before he is captured by the police or killed by the dragons who want him dead.

Notes:

Posting this a day early because I'm going to be busy tomorrow.

[2 weeks later]

 

"Relax your wings!"

 

"I am, Wisp!"

 

"No, they're too stiff!"

 

The trees were rapidly getting closer for Pythor, their tips almost smacking his legs as he lost altitude. Just when he thought he was going to crash again, a large updraft lifted him above the trees.

 

"Dammit… I really thought I had it that time. Thanks for the save, Gale."

 

The green wind dragon huffed and looked away as she and the other dragons (save Flare and Fria) continued to fly around him.

 

“You okay, Frosty?” Lloyd asked, and Pythor nodded. "You're getting better. You're able to take off just fine and glide, it's lift and gaining altitude that you're having trouble with."

 

"I know, Lloyd. It's been almost two weeks now, I should have it by now."

 

"Hey, don't worry. You're making amazing progress." Terra said as she flew over and nuzzled him. "You should have seen me when I was first trying to fly. I kept flopping into the ground and ending up sprawled out on my back."

 

"I wouldn't mind seeing you like that now, you know~?" He said and nipped her neck, making her grin and lick his mouth.

 

“Oh my god…” Gale groaned.

 

"Easy you two. Keep it in the caves." Wisp called over to them.

 

"Buzzkill…" Terra said, prompting a smirk from Wisp. “Why don't we go back to them if you want us to take it there?”

 

“I'm getting away from you fucking nymphs.” Gale sighed and drifted away.

“We’ll be down in the clearing.” Lloyd called.

“Don’t worry, Pythor. You can do it.” Crest said. “Trust Wisp, he knows what he’s saying. Don’t force your wings up and down, let the motions be smooth and flow into each other. I personally think it helps to time your wingbeats with your breaths.”

“Yeah, count to three as you move your wings up, hold for a second, and count to two, breathing out as you push your wings down. Got it?” Wisp said.

Pythor nodded and took breaths just as he said, pushing his wings up and down. At first, he thought he wasn’t making any progress like he hadn’t been, but then he saw the three dragons getting further and further down. They weren’t getting lower, he was getting higher! He looked at his wings, noticing that the air was catching in them, and he decided to shift his wings. He turned to the right, curving downwards, and quickly flapped them to then arc upwards.

Chuckling slightly, he looked down at the others. “Hey, you were right! Look at me! I’m flying! I’m actually flying!” He pushed forwards and curved his wings, doing a loop in the air and laughing as he did. He dove down and hovered in front of him. “I can’t believe it!”

“I can!” Terra laughed. “You’ve been working hard learning how to these past few weeks. You’ve been practicing and it’s paid off!”

“Great job, Pythor.” Wisp said. “You’ve really earned this. I’m so happy for you.”

Pythor smiled and flapped slightly closer, pecking Wisp on the mouth, followed by Terra.

“Come on, let’s head down to the ground and tell Lloyd the great news.” Crest said.

[][][][][][][]

As soon as they got down, Pythor saw Gale sitting over by a tree, basking in the sun, and headed over to her. “Hey, Gale! I finally learned how to fly!”

“Good for you.” She simply said. His smile wavered slightly, but he refused to rebuke her.

“Hey, I really wanted to thank you for not telling Lloyd about me, and for helping me learn how to fly. I appreciate it.”

 

“Don't thank me.” She said, shooting him a sharp glare. “I should have left you to figure it out on your own. I don't even know why I'm fucking doing this for you, or why I'm hiding you. I don't like you.”

 

“I know. You could have given up at any time, you didn't even have to start, but you didn't refuse. That means a lot to me.”

 

With that, he left her to be alone and to avoid aggravating her any further. Why hadn't she exposed him? Was it really because he didn't want to have sex with her without her knowing who he was.

 

He shuddered at remembering how she had held his neck, his life in her teeth. He shook his head. Best not to think about it.

 

Lloyd stepped back and looked over Pythor's entire wing as he came back over. "How is your wing feeling?"

 

"It's feeling better now! I can fly! I even did a loop!"

 

“Hey! That’s great to hear! I know flying is a big thing to dragons, so I’m happy you’re able to join them in the skies.”

“It sure does. I’ve spent my whole life on the ground, and now I can soar to the heavens and gaze down on the beautiful world. It really is something special. I don’t even think I can describe it fully.”

“I motion we retire to the caves to ‘celebrate’.” Terra said, nibbling at Pythor’s neck and making him shiver.

“I second that motion.” Wisp added, doing the same.

“And I third that motion.” Crest joined in, leaning against Pythor.

 

"There you are, Lloyd." A glowing purple dragon descended into the clearing and dissipated as Garmadon stepped onto the ground. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be heading to meet with King Skales for training."

 

"I still have a few hours, dad. Gale and I can make it there in less than one. We're teaching Frosty here how to fly right now."

 

"I'm sure he can manage without you. You should really focus on training more. You haven't been living the most fulfilling life you could be ever since Zane was lost."

 

"Why do you need to bring him up? I have been training. How much is enough for you to be satisfied? I'm helping care for an injured dragon, leading him back to the skies. How is that not fulfilling?"

 

"Lloyd-"

 

"Hey, why don't you lay off the kid?” Pythor asked. “If he wants to help me heal and become more independent, let him! He's been taking care of himself."

 

"And how would you know?"

 

"Because I've been with him and listening when he took care of me! I know that he was bullied a lot in school, that he was badly burned in a volcano, and had to fight the same demon twice ! So take it easy on him!"

 

"How's he coming along?" Garmadon asked after a few moments.

 

"He's getting better, but he's still having trouble gaining lift and landing." Lloyd said.

 

"Great…" Garmadon sighed. Pythor's lips curled back when he heard that. "Well, I'm sure he'll get the hang of it soon. Then he can be on his way."

 

"Maybe we can keep him?" Nya suggested, and chuckled when she spotted Pythor looking at her. "I mean, if he wants to stay, that is."

 

"I wouldn't mind that." Terra said, smiling at him, with Wisp doing the same.

 

"I know you wouldn't, Terra, given how you four can't keep your claws and teeth off each other. Nya, I don't think that would be a good idea. He probably has a family to get back to or something."

 

"If you have something to say, then say it." Pythor growled, and Garmadon raised an eyebrow and smirked.

 

"Lloyd, King Skales has been a good friend to us. I think if you got there early he might appreciate it."

 

"Alright, I'll see you later today, Frosty. Remember to rest up, okay?" Lloyd said as he climbed on Gale and took off.

 

"Frosty, can I speak to you for a moment? Alone?" Garmadon's tone didn't leave any room for protest. Wisp and Terra both looked at Pythor with wide eyes.

 

“I'll be fine.” He sighed, and begrudgingly followed him until they were out of the earshot of the other dragons and Nya.

 

"What are you still doing here, Pythor? You were supposed to leave as soon as you were healed up enough to transform back without seriously injuring yourself, not stay and get under Terra's tail every day and night. You’re able to fly now. I saw you doing your tricks, so there’s no reason for you to stay here now.”

 

"Well maybe I like mounting her and the others. Maybe it’s because they’re actually being nice to me and giving me the company and companionship I’ve wanted for so long. I don’t fuck them just for the pleasure, I do it because I LIKE them! They helped me learn how to fly!”

 

"They don’t run this monastery, they are guests here, and still follow my lead."

 

"Oh really ? Funny, I seem to recall Crest drenching you and giving you the middle claw. Great job leading by example, sensei ."

 

"Don't get smart with me, snake. I can still tell Cole what you're doing with Terra." Garmadon warned, and Pythor's eyes narrowed at the slur, a deep growl leaving his mouth. "You're going to stay away from my son if you know what's good for you. You may have the others fooled, but I know what you really are. A spoiled, spiteful, homicidal prince. You. Can't. Change."

 

"I'm trying to, asshole! You think I don't know the shit I've done to everyone?! You think I don't know how much hurt I've caused them?!" Pythor roared at him and reared up to his full height, a puff of blue fire escaping his maw. "Your hands aren't clean either, you know? You kidnapped a 15-year-old girl with an army of skulkin, and the next year you corrupted her with dark matter and set her against her brother. Has Kai forgiven you for either of those times?"

 

"Watch i-"

 

"What about that shit you pulled at the ninjaball run, huh? I saw the news. You threw dozens of serpentine off the bounty to gain speed and try to win the race, and so many were injured or killed because of it! Has that been forgotten, huh?!"

 

"You better-"

 

"NO, YOU SHUT UP!" He roared as he took a step closer and snapped his jaws so close to Garmadon his hair moved. "You stood idly by during the serpentine war while humans abused serpentine prisoners, beating them and raping them! I know people from each and every tribe who have been forced to raise children that were sired by humans! You did nothing to stop or make up for any of it! You haven’t even acknowled that your side committed war crimes! People are soooo willing to forgive you and treat you kindly today, and yet you're unwilling to extend that favor to me. So don't fucking lecture me about change, you fucking HYPOCRITE!"

 

Pythor whirled around so fast his tail slammed into a tree and cracked the trunk as he stormed back to the clearing. His muscles all over his body shook as he drew deep breaths and growled at the scornful face of the spinjitzu master in his mind.

 

"What?" He asked once he caught everyone staring at him. He jumped and his whole body tensed up when he heard a loud snap and thud as the tree he struck finally fell.

 

"What was that about?" Wisp asked after a short pause.

 

"Nothing. I'm going back to my cave."

 

"Could I come with you?" Terra asked as she stepped forwards.

 

"Actually, Terra, I think I'd like to go alone. I just need some time to cool off, then I’ll be up there and we can celebrate like we planned.” He sighed and looked up at her. “Is that alright?"

 

"Of course, and we don’t need to fuck if you don’t feel up to it. It’s alright. I'll see you back at the caves when you’re ready." She said and nuzzled him, quickly pecking him on the mouth.

 

He smiled at her and turned around, making his way through the trees as smoke blew out of his nostrils.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

As he walked, leaves crunched behind him and he stopped without turning to face the human.

 

"Aren't you going back with Crest, Nya?"

 

"No, I wanted to follow you and talk with you."

 

"I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to talk."

 

"Well, you definitely made it clear that you were upset with Sensei Garmadon. We heard you roaring in the clearing. What's going on between you two?"

 

"You wouldn't understand."

 

Pythor started moving again, leaves and branches snapping under his claws as he moved through the forest.

 

Nya ran ahead of him and started walking in front of him, making him frown. "I understand that he's been very disrespectful, rude, and neglectful towards you ever since you showed up here. I just don't get why he wants you gone so badly."

 

"I don't. Want. To talk about it."

 

"Alright, I won't pressure you anymore. But, whatever's going on between you two, he has no right to be so hurtful towards you. You are a really cool dragon, and I won't let him treat you so harshly, so I'm going to have a word with him."

 

A deep sigh blew out of Pythor's mouth as she walked away, and he sat down. “Ugh, fine. Look, Garmadon has good reasons to be so harsh towards me. You would too if you knew why."

 

She stopped and turned around. "What are you talking about? He didn't even want to feed you when you couldn't hunt for yourself. The rest of us had to do it. Why would he want you to starve?"

 

"Because I hurt him and his family. I've done terrible things in my life, things that can't be forgiven no matter what. Believe me when I say that you would hate me if you knew the truth about me." 

 

"I don't believe that, Frosty. In the time that we've spent together, you have been so kind and compassionate towards Lloyd, Misako, and Sensei Wu. You're very gentle and cautious, and all of our dragons like you, especially Terra. You'd never hurt anyone on purpose."

 

"I used to."

 

Pythor looked up at her as she rested a hand on his leg. Her eyes were wide and full as he could see the gears in her head turning. She had been so kind and caring towards him, personally fed him slabs of meat once he first started staying here. He had to tell her the truth…

 

"You promise you won't use your water element to drown me or twist my body around like a squeegee once I tell you?”

 

“What?! Heck no! Why would I do that?”

 

“Because Gale almost killed me when I told her that I was actually Pythor.”

 

She opened her eyes and gasped, and stepped back as she covered her mouth. Her eyes shook as she stared at him, while his head hung low.

 

"Y-y-you're… you're Frosty?"

 

"... yes." He said, and took a deep breath and focused on himself, letting himself turn back into his serpentine form. “See?”

 

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Kryptarium Prison under 24/7 guard, you're supposed to be executed in a week. No… are you… you want one of us as leverage."

 

His head snapped up and he held his hands out. "No! No… no that's… that's not what I want."

 

"You chained me to a broken roller coaster and tried to kill me! The hell it isn't!"

 

Pythor opened his mouth and tried to say something, but he just shut it and looked down at the ground. He remembered all of her screams, her begging to be let go as he and the other serpentine tied her up, and he ignored all of it.

 

"I'm sorry."

 

"'Sorry'? That's all you got? The things you've done to me and my friends… to my own brother ? You chained him up under a rocket engine! HE WAS TERRIFIED! He still has nightmares about you! All you have is 'sorry' ?!"

 

He flinched at the venom in her words, the cracking in her voice, and he closed his eyes as they started to tear up.

 

"Why are you even here? Why come to us? Why pretend?!"

 

"I… I didn't mean to. I was just… falling to my death in the cloud kingdom and… I turned into that dragon. My dad… he told me that dragons could cross between realms, and I… I guess that's what I did. I was told I had dragon blood inside me and some kind of power called 'imagination'. I didn't know how to fly though, and… well… you saw the results. I think I ended up here because I wanted to apologize to Lloyd.”"

 

"I can't believe this… all this time, it's just been you, learning our secrets and whatnot."

 

"Nya… I don't care about your secrets or whatever anymore… honestly, I really don't. I just want to be a better person now. I don't want to go back to Kryptarium. The guards there… They treat everyone horribly. Before I ended up here, I hadn't even seen the sun or the moon in 8 months. I was hardly fed, almost never knew what time of day it was, or the day, no one came to see me, it was horrible. I almost died."

 

"You killed Zane."

 

Pythor cringed and looked away as he rubbed his shoulder. The longer she stared at him, the more he wanted to turn invisible and hide.

 

"I… I know. I haven't forgotten."

 

"Why… why would you do it?! Why would you turn Sensei Wu into a cyborg? Why would you attack Fangtom at Ed and Edna's place, why would you try to kill my big brother?!"

 

"I don't know! I don't know what to say, okay? I can't excuse that, I can't justify it. Nothing I could say could explain away me taking someone's life. Every day, I kept thinking about him sacrificing himself for you all. He was so selfless, he didn't even hesitate to give himself up for you all so that you could live."

 

Pythor didn't wipe away the tears that were streaming down his scales now as he looked at Nya. He clasped his hands together and tried to get his breath to continue.

 

"I-I don't even feel joy at what happened, at what I did. I never have. I took your teammate from you, and I can't undo that. Nya, I'm so sor-"

 

A fierce cry was torn from Pythor's mouth as a huge force slammed into his side and sent him flying into a tree with enough force to tear bark. Every scale across his entire body burned and his vision became fuzzy as he tried to figure out what happened.

 

"Lloyd!"

 

"Step back, Nya. He's mine. I should have seen it from the start. Your white scales, your red eyes, your accent, it was all there. All this time, you've been masquerading as a dragon, hiding who you really were from us."

 

"L-loy-" Pythor started to ask as he tried to get up before another energy blast knocked his head into the tree and got it pounding.

 

"You made me think you were my friend, the first person who ever treated me like an actual person, and it was all a lie! You just can't help it, can you? Lying and deception come so naturally to you after all."

 

"Lloyd… I… I'm sorry-"

 

Pythor cried out when Lloyd's boot hit him square in the gut and made him curl up, the pain in his side flaring up. He looked up into Lloyd's burning green eyes and curled up even more after he kicked him in the jaw. Gale and Fria came up behind Lloyd, the latter snarling at him, while the former looked down.

 

He tried to slither away from them, but yelped as a curtain of fire cut him off. Flare landed in front of him, fire pouring out the sides of his mouth.

 

"You messed up though, snake. You mentioned that I got burned inside a volcano among other things, but I never told you that."

 

Lloyd went in for a punch with a glowing green fist, but Nya grabbed his arm and stopped him.

 

"Lloyd, stop. Something seems different about him."

 

"You're actually believing this piece of shit, Nya? After all the things he's done to us, to you , you think he's actually capable of feeling any kind of remorse?!"

 

He was breathing fast, his hands were clenched, and Pythor thought he was still going to attack him regardless of what Nya said, if Flare didn't incinerate him first…

 

"No… I mean… I don't know. He could have attacked Garmadon when he pulled Pythor off to the side, but he didn't, he just came back. And he… he chose to show himself to me. He knew how I'd react and he still showed himself."

 

"Oh I'm sure he's just putting on an act. With how good of a liar he is, I'm sure he's trained himself to cry on command. Everything he's said to me, all those words of support he gave, standing up to my father, none of it was real."

 

"Yes it was! I'm sorry for how I've treated you Lloyd. I really am…"

 

A loud chopping sound filled the valley, and Pythor and Nya looked around to see what it was.

 

"What's that?" Nya asked.

 

"Oh, those are just the Tsuiseki Marshalls. I called them as soon as I got off the phone with Skales. Fria, if you would?"

 

"With pleasure."

 

Pythor turned his head around and cried out as a white glow filled his vision. Cold air blew across his scales and he suddenly found that he couldn't move any part of his body. Nya and Lloyd started talking, but whatever they were saying at this point was too muffled for Pythor to understand.

 

The Marshalls would be there any second now with how close the helicopters sounded. Pythor knew that they were a police service that directly reported to the shogun, and their authority allowed them to pursue dangerous criminals across all the territories of Ninjago… except Quetzalcoatl.

 

That was it! Ever since Skales had become the king of the serpentine, he had established sovereignty over their land. The royal family couldn't exercise rule over them.

 

Pythor pressed his hand to the ice, and it shattered into large chunks that blew everywhere.

 

"What in the underworld…?" Lloyd asked as he looked at Pythor's glowing arms.

 

"I'm sorry, but I can't go back to Kryptarium."

 

Fria roared and Pythor ducked behind a tree as huge ice spikes erupted to either side of him. He took off and dashed behind the trees as the three dragons charged after him. Trees snapped behind him as Fria tried to freeze him solid and Flare burn him alive.

 

Pythor gasped as he was thrown to the side when air slammed into him, and an ice spear would have gone right through his head had he not been moved at the last second. Had Gale saved him? Pythor tried running again and mentally slapped himself as he finally thought to turn invisible, but the mud on the ground removed that option.

 

Flashes lit up the forest around him, and he turned his head when he heard a shriek. Wisp stood behind him, his teeth buried in the back of Fria's neck. “GO! GET OUT OF HERE!” He was immediately knocked off by Flare, the fire dragon's claws slicing the side of his neck open. Pythor dashed for him, only for a deluge of water to crash into him and blow him back.

“Do what he said! We won’t let them hurt you!” Crest yelled and lunged at Fria. Pythor whimpered and ran back into the forest, getting as far as he could away from certain death.

----------------------------------------------------------

 

He finally made it to an area of the forest that was too thick for the dragons to pursue him, and stopped to catch his breath once he felt safe. "Dammit… what was I thinking just blurting that out? Me and my big mou-"

 

Crack .

 

Pythor twisted to the side and ducked his head, watching as Lloyd's glowing green fist smashed into the tree right where his head had been. He wasted no time and went in for another, and another, and another. Pythor grabbed his arm after another narrowly-missed punch and threw him between the trees.

 

"Lloyd, please stop! I'm not trying to hurt you!"

 

"Too bad I can't say the same! You're gonna pay for what you did to Zane!" He yelled and blasted energy at his head.

 

"If I could go back I would! I wish I hadn't taken him from you! That I hadn't treated you like shit!"

 

"I wish you had never been born."

 

Pythor felt his face fall at those words and reacted a second too late to avoid Lloyd's spinjitzu attack. He groaned as he tried to get up, and saw Lloyd running straight at him. He tried to get up faster, and heard a snarl as a black tail slammed into Lloyd and sent him flying.

 

"Terra!" He cried.

“Grab Gale’s teeth!” She growled quietly, and Pythor barely had a second to react before Gale crashed into Terra and sent her flying into a tree so hard it shattered. Teeth lightly dug into his scales and he was hurled into the air and surrounded by wet, warm, darkness.

Gale had EATEN him! He yelped and scrambled to escape, grabbing onto her teeth, but Gale wouldn’t open her mouth. He felt a thud as she hit her throat and heard muffled arguing outside. He whimpered when he nearly lost his grip on her teeth as Gale took off and continued to hold on for dear life, quite literally.

 

Once they had flown for several long minutes, he felt Gale settle down on the ground, and she immediately opened her mouth, coughing and gagging. Pythor shuddered as he slithered over to a tree and lied back against it, shivering and holding himself.

“I’m… fuck… I’m sorry. I had to think fast to get you out of there. Are you okay?”

“Oh yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Just remembering the last time I was eaten.” He said, looking at the ground. He saw Gale stepping closer to him, and looked up just in time for her to nuzzle him and rest her head in his tail.

“I’m just glad you’re safe. You can be free now. Live a good life.”

 

"What are you two doing? Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

 

"Getting you to safety. Cole has talked about this place, I figured that's where you were going." Terra said.

 

"Why did you attack Lloyd like that? Don't you know you're going to be in trouble?"

 

"Isn't it obvious? He was hurting my friend. And don't worry about me, I'll deal with it. As for Gale here, Lloyd thinks she ate you, so you’re probably safe.”

 

"But… Terra, what about us? I was inside you! I marked you. What will happen to this?" He gestured between them, and put a hand on her belly. “What if…?”

 

Terra closed her eyes and smiled. "I don't know, it’s too early to tell if I’m carrying your eggs. But if I am then… I’ll make sure to give them a good life. I don't know if we'll be able to see each other again after this though. Wisp and I can't leave with you, as much as we want to. He’s already been tranquilized, and I don’t know if I will be too.”

 

"So, that's it then? We're done? It's just that easy?"

 

She opened her eyes and looked at him firmly. "No, it's not. I know this is hard, but I'm not going to lie to you by saying otherwise. I promised you I wouldn't let you be hurt by the others, and while I couldn't stop you from being attacked by Lloyd, I won't let the humans take you to be killed. If I can't be with you anymore, then I can at least do that much."

“I have to go back as well. But if you know of a place where Crest or I can meet you, we can bring you some supplies to help you survive until you can figure something out for yourself.”

 

“There’s a covered bridge on a trail southwest of here over a stream. It’s called the Farrow covered bridge. There’s a set of lattice supports under it. I think if you tie some bags under them, I can find them.” Pythor felt his eyes watering, and he quickly wiped it away as he slithered closer to them. “Why are you doing this, Gale? You saved me from getting killed by Fria, and made everyone think I’m dead.”

She simply smiled and nuzzled him again. “Because you respected me and my body. I was horny and impulsive, and you didn’t let yourself take advantage of that. You were right when you said it would have been easy to just lie back and let it happen. This is me thanking you.”

 

"So… what now?" He asked them both.

 

"Stay safe, okay? Please.” Terra requested. “And, Pythor… can you please promise me something?"

 

"Of course, anything."

 

"If you meet someone else who you find yourself falling for, as you did for me, please, give them a chance." She said, and held up a paw when he opened his mouth. "I know this isn't easy to ask, especially for me, even moreso given what we've done, but… I want you to be happy in life. You've been through a lot, and you deserve to be given a better shot at things."

She sighed and looked down at the ground. "I know you'll still miss me no matter what I say, but… I just don't want to imagine you hurting over not being able to see me, especially since I don't know when or even if we'll be able to see each other again." She looked back up at him, right into his eyes. "So please, can you promise me you'll give someone else a chance, if one arises?"

 

Pythor sniffed and went up to her as he gently pressed a hand to the side of her mouth. "I… I will Terra. I promise. It was nice while it lasted, really, really nice. I'll still remember this mark you gave me. If not as a symbol of mates, then one of friendship.”

 

Pythor closed his eyes and pressed his mouth to hers, holding her gently with both hands now. Terra pressed her head into the kiss as well, and held a paw to his back. They both pulled out of it about a minute later, and Pythor saw that her eyes were wet as well.

 

"Thank you, Frosty. Take care, okay?"

 

"I will. Take care of yourself, too, okay?”

 

"Of course.”

 

“Oh, one more thing!” He said and she stopped. “When I was with you, Wisp, and Crest, I really felt like a dragon, like things were going to be okay. I know it didn't turn out that way, but… I'll always cherish that moment when we mated together under the stars. I love dragons, and it was so special getting to be with you as such. Thank you for giving me that time, and for letting me lay with you.”

 

She turned around and held a claw to his chest. “You were a dragon, Pythor, not just physically, but spiritually as well. I sense that you always have been, or at least that deep down you tried to be. Carry that with you in life, and people will follow you. Okay?”

 

“I will, and thank you for stopping again to listen to me. I hope you'll be okay when you get back.”

 

“I'll manage.” She said, flashing a toothy smile at him, and took off.

 

Pythor watched as she turned around and took off, heading back towards Ninjago. He waited until she was gone before he turned around and slithered back into Arasi no tsuno.

Chapter 5: Only One Can Remain

Summary:

Things are heating up for Pythor. After a dream of his past with Lloyd, Pythor exposes his survival when he saves a woman from an attack by a cougar. Now he is brought into the crosshairs with the ninja when Chen tracks him down for his spell.

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"What? How did-uhhhh I mean congratulations to the boy in green! What will it be?"

 

"The yellow dragon!"

 

"Here you go… lucky boy."

 

The giant plush of the yellow dragon was taken off of the hook and given to Lloyd, who hugged it tight and ran off. Once he was a good distance away from the game booth Pythor revealed himself and high-fived him.

 

"Thanks Pythor, I've almost never been able to beat these games on my own!"

 

"Hey it's no problem, Scamp. Carnivals and fairs in my time had games just like those too."

 

"Really? Did you beat them?"

 

"Yeah I developed some tips and tricks. Maybe I can show them to you sometime, that way you can win prizes without me needing to hit the balls back into that bucket for instance."

 

"Really?!"

 

Pythor nodded and smiled when Lloyd ran over to hug him. They put the stuffed dragon into the backseat of the car they had and went back into Mega Monster Amusement Park. They approached the enormous waterpark that was also located inside and heard lots of cheering. Pythor stole a couple of wristbands and put them on him and Lloyd.

 

"Can we go in the pool, Pythor?"

 

"Do you even have to ask?"

 

Lloyd cheered and went into the changing room to get changed, and Pythor put their stuff in a locker after putting a quarter in it. Lloyd ran through some fountains and into the water before he noticed Pythor hanging out af the edge.

 

"Aren't you coming in?"

 

"Ummm… uhhh… n-no… I'm good staying over here. I'll just lay by the poolside and warm my scales. Just call over to me if you need me."

 

Pythor watched as Lloyd swam over to other parts of the pool, and shuddered as he looked at the deeper parts. He slithered over to the pool and laid down in the sun, sighing as the sun warmed his scales.

 

"Boy I wish I knew how to swim… and that I wasn't scared shitless of water."

 

Pythor pulled a book out of the backpack that he had brought with him and started reading it while he cracked open a can of iced tea. Every so often, Lloyd would come up to check on him and often splash him, and Pythor would tell him to "cut it out" once he almost got the book wet.

 

"Hey Pythor?"

 

"Hm?"

 

"I'm hungry, I want hot dogs, fries, and a soda"

 

"I want equality for serpentine. A six-pack too." Pythor said without looking up from his book.

 

"Master Lloyd has spoken!"

 

"Lloyd, I agreed to be your friend, not your pet or your slave that you could order around however you please. If you really want me to get you something to eat, you know what you need to say."

 

"Pythor, could you please get some food for me?" Lloyd asked after a pause. Pythor smiled and put the book away as he got up.

 

"I'd love to Lloyd. Please get out of the pool and stay by our stuff though, I'll be back soon with some food for both of us."

 

Pythor got up and slithered over to the concessions as Lloyd climbed out of the pool, and was immediately greeted with a long line. He contemplated just turning invisible and stealing what Lloyd wanted, but he didn't want to cause a scene and draw unnecessary attention. He groaned and rolled his eyes as he could only hope the servers were fast.

 

Ten minutes later, and he was really wishing he had just turned invisible and stolen the food anyways. A couple more minutes, and he finally got food for himself and Lloyd.

 

"Definitely should have just grabbed it. Over 23 dollars for all this? Lloyd definitely owes m-" Pythor grumbled as he carried the food over in his hands and tail before he stopped cold and looked at their table.

 

Lloyd was gone, and so was their stuff.

 

Pythor put the food down and looked around the waterpark for Lloyd. Why would he leave the spot where he told him to sit? Was he wondering what was taking him so long? He knew where the line for the concessions was. Maybe he went to the bathroom?

 

He started towards one of the bathrooms before he felt chills rushing down his spine. Why would he take the bag then? All they had in there were towels and a change of clothes, he wouldn't take them with him unless…

 

Pythor bolted towards the exit to the pool so fast his body straightened out and almost knocked over a table where people were being checked in.

 

"Excuse me, did a boy with tan skin and blonde hair come through here? He was wearing a bathing suit with green flames on it."

 

"What is your relationship with him?"

 

Pythor put a hand on his head and hissed. "I'm his caretaker, his guardian. He was supposed to be waiting buy our stuff while I got food, but they're both gone. Now please, did he come over here? Was he with anyone?"

 

"Yes, just a couple minutes ag-" Pythor didn't wait for them to finish, he bolted out and stopped at the packed parking lot. 

 

There was no way he'd be able to see where Lloyd was taken just here on the ground. Pythor looked around, and saw a light pole. He slithered around it and climbed up to the top, holding on tight as he looked around for Lloyd.

 

The park was jam-packed, anyone would try and snatch the closest spot to the entrance. If someone was intending to abduct a child, they probably wouldn't be waiting all day, so they'd have to pick a spot farther away since those would be the only ones available.

 

There! A man was leading Lloyd by the hand into his white pickup truck.

 

Pythor loosened his coils and slid down to the ground. He grunted when he hit it harder than he expected, but didn't let it bother him as he hurried towards the truck. Lloyd pressed himself against the back window when he saw him, but the truck took off and cut off several cars as it tried to escape out the parking lot.

 

Pythor jumped over several cars as he saw the truck about to turn into the exit, and dived straight through the window.

 

The man swore as he attempted to push Pythor back out the window, and neither could stop the truck from crashing into another car.

 

Pythor was immediately thrown into the windshield when the truck crashed and felt glass digging into his scales. He opened his eyes and jerked the man's arm to the side with his tail right as a bang echoed. Pythor yelled and held his ear-hole as a deafening ring filled it.

 

"Drop the gun and exit the vehicle!"

 

The man jerked his head to the side at the noise and Pythor took full opportunity to tighten his grip and break his wrist as he grabbed the gun. Pythor tossed the gun out the windshield before the door was forced open and both of them were dragged out.

 

The man was forced to the ground as Pythor just slumped on the ground, panting as he looked up at the security and police officers. He gasped and looked up at the door.

 

"Lloyd!" He ignored the police officers telling him to stay down and opened the door. As soon as he did, Lloyd immediately jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly. Pythor gently held him and gasped when he heard him whimpering. "Lloyd… are you hurt?"

 

"Pythor… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"

 

"Huh? For what?"

 

"I was worried, I wanted to come find you. Some… some man asked if I was lost, and he-he called you. He said you were in the parking lot, and that we needed to hurry and find you."

 

"Lloyd… I don't have a cell phone. I don't understand them yet."

 

It was getting harder to understand Lloyd through his crying, so Pythor carefully slithered over to an island and sat down. Pythor gently rubbed Lloyd's back as he hugged him tight.

 

"Lloyd, I was so worried about you. I'm not mad. You were scared, but it's okay. Everything's going to be alright now."

 

"But… I… I should have-"

 

"Lloyd, look at me." Lloyd did, and Pythor smiled down at him as he wiped his tears away. "You're safe now, everything's going to be okay now. I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise."

 

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Pythor jerked awake as he looked around and remembered where he was.

 

"Dammit, another one of those dreams… or nightmares."

 

He crawled out of his sleeping bag and shivered as he saw that the campfire in the cave had burned out. He put on a fur coat and peeked out through a tarp covering the cave entrance to see that the ground was covered with at least 7.5 cm of snowfall.

 

"Sheesh, no wonder it's so cold out. Gotta get a fire going." Pythor slithered over to his stash of wood and put some in the fire pit, and used a lighter to ignite the kindling.

 

He got back into his sleeping bag and waited for the fire to warm him up. As he did, his mind drifted back to the dragons. He really owed Terra, Wisp, Crest, and Gale a lot. The first three had really taken him in and made him feel welcome (in more ways than one), while Gale had kept his secret and helped the others teach him how to fly, and delivered the supplies that he was literally living off of now.

 

Now, here he was living in the wilderness, while all of the dragons except Fria, Flare, and Gale had been arrested for harboring a fugitive and aggravated assault. Was this really worth it? Three lives had been impacted just so his one could be saved?

 

Plus, for all he knew, it could be more than three lives. With several dragons (himself included) having mated with Terra while she was in heat, there was no doubt in his mind that she was pregnant. But would any of the eggs she could have be his? Even if none of them were, a person like her didn't deserve to have her children in prison.

 

All this thinking was getting him more awake, and before he knew it, his stomach was growling and his mouth felt dry. He sighed and got up to grab his canteen. The stream of water quickly came to a stop not long after he started drinking.

 

"Gonna have to visit the spring too. This is just like the good old days. Struggling to find food, clean water, avoiding humans and serpentine, yup good times. Good times indeed."

 

Pythor put on his backpack, strapped a jadeblade to his belt, grabbed his bow, and extinguished the fire before heading outside.

 

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Flurries were flowing through the air now, and the air held a sharp bite to it from the cold.

 

As he slithered through the snow, Pythor found his thoughts drifting back to the dream that he had. He felt his breath shudder as he recalled just how close that driver had been to making off with Lloyd. If he hadn't dove through that window…

 

Lloyd was almost inconsolable after the whole ordeal, even after they had slipped away from the police. Even though he had only been 26 years old biologically, he had the mentality of a 9-year-old child at the time, and clung to Pythor like a child wanting their parents to make everything alright.

 

He wished he could unhear what his friend told him about Lloyd a few days after they got back to the camp. Once he heard it, he couldn't look at Lloyd the same way again…

 

Pythor shook his head to clear the dark memory, what's done is done. He couldn't change the past, no matter how hard he wanted to.

 

He started looking around for some prey to kill. He hoped to catch something big, like a chewie goat or a caribou. With how cold the mountains were this time of year, if he stored the meat right, it should last for quite some time.

 

It wasn't long before he spotted a white rabbit hopping through the snow and between some trees. Pythor crouched down low and strung an arrow, drew it back, and flinched as a whinny echoed through the trees.

 

The arrow landed just above the rabbit, and Pythor hissed as it dashed off. He slithered over and retrieved the arrow from the tree as he looked around for the source of the noise.

 

"What the hell was that?"

 

He saw a horse with bloody scratches on its thighs and hindquarters galloping down a trail, and he got a sinking feeling in his gut when he heard gunshots. Pythor slithered towards the source and saw a woman falling off the side of the trail.

 

 "Oh shit!"

 

A cougar peeked around a tree at the edge of the trail and hissed at him. Its teeth were bloody.

 

"SHIT!"

 

Pythor drew an arrow and shot it at the cougar as it charged at him, but it hardly even reacted to it being shot in the thigh. He lunged out of the way and turned invisible as the cougar lunged at him and spun around to look at where he was a moment ago.

 

A second later it whipped around and jumped on him.

 

He yelled as its teeth dug into his shoulders, almost getting his neck as he lost focus on his invisibility. Pythor moved his head around and bit hard into the cougar's neck. It snarled and whipped around to slash him across his face, but he immediately drew his knife and stabbed it in the neck and throat several times.

 

Pythor pushed its weakening body off of him and crawled back as its spurting blood turned the snow red. He gasped and slithered over to the edge of the trail where he saw a red-haired woman lying with her head against a rock.

 

"Oh no…"

 

Without even thinking he carefully slid down the slope until he got to where she was. Her entire body was covered in scrapes and bruises, and he could see a bump in one of her pant legs, probably a bone, but his eyes widened when he noticed the pool of blood growing under her.

 

He immediately used his knife to cut her backpack off along with a sleeve, drawing a weak moan from her. There was a hole in her right arm, and it was oozing blood.

 

"Shit, that's not good." He muttered and immediately wrapped his tail around it, tightening it as hard as he could, making her groan loudly.

 

"Miss, can you hear me?"

 

Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and they were the deepest green he had ever seen. She gasped when she looked at Pythor and tried to get up, but he gasped and immediately pushed down on her.

 

"Hey, hey! Please… don't move. You took a really bad fall, and I'm worried you hurt your spine. You're also losing a lot of blood, and I think you have a bone sticking out of your leg."

 

She was still breathing quickly, but she didn't try to get up again. He couldn't tell if it was because of her understanding him, or if it was because she was in that much pain.

 

"I'm guessing you know who I am, but I promise I won't hurt you. I'm not that kind of person anymore. What's your name?"

 

"Sa…Salome…"

 

"Okay Salome, do you have a satellite phone on you? I don't think there's any cell service in this area."

 

"Yes."

 

"Okay, is it in your pockets, your bag, or a clip?"

 

"Bag… side."

 

"Alright. I'm going to get it."

 

Pythor got out the phone and immediately dialed the number he saw for the forest rangers.

 

"911, what is your emergency?"

 

"Hello. I'm in the Clearwater state forest, and I need forest rangers or an air ambulance or something. I came across a woman being attacked by a cougar before it attacked me. It's dead now.”

 

“Are you injured?”

 

“Yes, we both are. She has suffered a lot of scratches to her arms and torso, a very bad bite on her upper left arm that I think has punctured an artery. She's losing a lot of blood. She has also taken a bad fall down a rocky slope and an open bone fracture in her leg."

 

"Where are you in the forest? Are there any landmarks that can identify your location for responders?"

 

"Uhhhh, we're in the northeastern section of the forest on the white ivy trail, and there is a river right next to us at the bottom of a steep incline."

 

"A medevac helicopter has been dispatched. Are you injured as well, sir?"

 

"Yes, but I'll be fine. I found a tourniquet in my bag. Should I apply it? I can still feel blood seeping out."

 

"If it is a field-grade tourniquet then follow my instructions.” She said, and he did every step she told him to.

 

He had just finished tying the tourniquet and stopping the flow of blood to her arm when it struck him how out of breath he was and how fast his heart was beating. Was he really doing this? Fuck it, of course he was. He was not going to let a woman as young and pretty as she was die. To the underworld with keeping his identity secret.

 

"Alright, I think that worked. Dammit… I can't believe this is happening. She's unconscious now, but she's still breathing."

 

"Can you describe your location in any more detail so the responders can locate you?"

 

"Ummm, there are a lot of coniferous trees around, and I think this river has a wooden bridge with a roof over it downstream. Oh! I remember a trailhead just up the slope. Here, I'll give you the coordinates I saw on it.”

 

“I've relayed the coordinates to the rescue helicopter. They should be approaching your location within several minutes. Please remain on the line.”

 

“Believe me,” he said, looking down at Salome. “I'm not going anywhere.”

 

Very soon, he heard the rotors of a helicopter, and pulled out a flare gun to load a cartridge. He aimed, and with shaky hands, fired the bright red flare into the sky.

 

"They see us. They're hovering around."

 

"Okay, thank you for assisting them. You may hang up now."

 

Pythor did and put the phone in the backpack before he went over to Salome and gently held her hand.

 

"Salome, can you hear me? People are here to take you to a hospital okay? You're going to be just fine."

 

She briefly opened her eyes and looked at him, and he couldn't help but smile at her. His heart started to beat faster as he took in her appearance, but people coming up the riverbank drew his attention.

 

They clearly recognized him, and he made sure to toss his knife away with his tail, and he got out of their way while holding his hands up. “It's okay, I don't want to cause any trouble.”

 

An understanding was reached, and he held his hands together as he watched her be placed on a stretcher with a neck brace. “Is she going to be okay?”

 

"She's going to be taken to a hospital. Don't worry, she's in good hands now. We need to take a look at your wounds too so that we can prepare you for medical transport.”

 

It was then that he became aware of an intense throbbing in his left shoulder. He looked at it and hissed as it got even worse the more he thought about it.

 

"Ungh… gladly. Fuck this hurts."

 

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"So, you're the one who made the call huh?"

 

Pythor grunted as a venomari cleaned out the bite wound on him, and he looked up at Skalidor, who had responded to the scene after Salome had been taken away. His muscles were rigid, even beneath the uniform he was wearing, and his yellow eyes seemed to gaze deep inside him.

 

"Y-yes."

 

"I see, well, I appreciate you saving my sister-in-law from that cougar and calling for help while treating her as best you could. You did a good thing. Why, though? This isn't like you, or at least it wasn't before."

 

"I couldn't just leave her there like that. For what seems like the first time in centuries, I realized that I could actually save someone or do some good after all of the things I've done. I… found out I wasn't given that chance earlier."

 

"Well, as grateful as I am for you fending off that cougar and saving Salome, what I'm trying to understand is what you're doing here in Arasi no tsuno. I thought Lloyd's dragon ate you. What were you doing in the forest?"

 

"Ummm, let's just say I got out of her mouth. I made it out of the great devourer, didn't I.” He asked, chuckling nervously. “ Anyways, I was… hiding. I didn't want to risk it being discovered by any of the other territories that I was alive since this country doesn't serve the emperor. I can't go back to Kryptarium Prison, you don't know how horrible it was in solitary. It wasn't like the kind most people get… it was… worse."

 

Skalidor's eyes widened as he looked at Pythor's, and he looked down at the floor and sighed. "I don't think King Skales will treat you any better, not after what you did to his sister Spira."

 

"What… what happened to her?"

 

"You blinded her, Pythor. Ever since she and Joshua got married a couple years ago, they've wanted nothing more than to have children. But then you and your nindroids attacked Ouroboros, and she got badly injured. Now, she'll never be able to see the children that she wanted for so long. Skales wants you dead."

 

Pythor stared down at the floor as he breathed heavily. His mind was racing and his as he attempted to process what he was told.

 

Skales loved his siblings. He was the oldest among them, and Pythor knew the only thing worse than attacking him, was hurting his family, and he did both. If he had really hurt them that much, then he didn't have to worry about being sent to the gallows.

 

Skales would kill him himself.

 

Someone started knocking at the door, and Pythor looked up to see that there were some police officers outside.

 

“Sorry, I had to let them know you were here.” Skalidor said and let them in.

 

“It's alright. I… I knew what would happen when I made that call.” He sighed. He didn't make any attempts at resistance as they put him in cuffs and escorted him out of the building.

 

“Hold on.” Skalidor said and came out. “Pythor, thank you again for saving Sally. It would have broken my heart if she had died.”

 

“I wasn't going to let that happen, and I hope it doesn't.”

 

“I hope not too, and… good luck.”

 

Pythor snorted. “Thanks.”

 

He was pushed into the back of the van and cuffed to the inside of the vehicle. Four officers sat in the back with him, all of them armed with automatic weapons.

 

"We have Pythor Asclepia in custody and are now leaving the Clearwater forest ranger station 8 for Clearwater county police station 12."

 

"Acryla." Pythor corrected, only to be shut up with a glare as the vehicle started down the road.

 

"Copy that transport four, we await your arrival."

 

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[Half an hour later]

 

"Clearwater police transport 4, do you read me?"

 

"Who is this? This is a closed-radio system, identify yourself."

 

"This is Zane Julien." Pythor's head snapped up when he heard that. There was no way he could still be alive. "The rest of the ninja and I are coming up on your location. We need you to release custody of Pythor to us. It is a matter of extreme importance."

 

"We can't do that. Pythor is going to be taken to Clearwater police so that he can be transferred to Quetzalcoatl for trial."

 

Pythor felt the truck pull to a stop and heard something land outside.

 

"Please officers, you don't understand what's coming. You're about to come under attack by a group of serpentine cultists who want to abduct Pythor. We need to get him someplace safe where they won't find him."

 

"He'll be safe at the county police building, now clear the road or you'll be charged with obstructing an officer."

 

"They're here! Take cover!"

 

Pythor flinched as something shattered and hit the side of the truck with several loud bangs. The truck swerved and settled at an angle in the ditch. There were muffled yells followed by gunfire and radios lighting up.

 

"Miss, please, they won't stop. We need to get Pythor out of here. We have a helicopter that we can transport him in."

 

"Dammit, he stays cuffed!"

 

The back doors of the van opened and several of the ninja were waiting on the other side, and all of them were glaring at Pythor as an officer climbed into the back and unlocked the chains holding him to the bench. His arms remained cuffed, however, and he was shoved forward to the edge of the van.

 

"Alright, here are the keys to the cuffs green ninja. Only as a last resort. Once this is over, he is to be returned to the custody of Quetzalcoatl police. Got it?"

 

"Yes, officer."

 

"Provide covering fire for the ninja. Let's go!"

 

Pythor was pushed out of the van and onto the asphalt, and officers started shooting at individuals with purple scales who were ducking behind trees.

 

"Anacondrai?"

 

"They're not anacondrai, they're humans, or at least, they were."

 

Pythor looked at the person who had started talking to him and did a double-take when he saw an anacondrai right next to him. That voice…

 

"GARMADON?! What the hell happened to you?!"

 

"It's a long story."

 

"Get down!"

 

A shrill whistle flew past them and a tree exploded, sending wood fragments everywhere and knocking an officer to the ground. Cole jumped behind the group and raised a rock wall from the ground, ducking behind it as bullets struck it.

 

"What do those serpentine want?" Pythor asked as an officer got shot in the leg with an arrow after attempting to pull the injured officer back behind the wall.

 

"They want you Pythor, apparently you have something they want." Kai said as he threw a fireball at a cultist while the officer was pulled back by Jay.

 

"Get going, we'll hold them here!" One of the officers ordered, and the ninja took off running.

 

"What do I have that they need? Who even are these guys?"

 

"You're familiar with Adrian Chen right?" Wu asked.

 

"Chen? That eccentric bigot? Yeah I knew him, and I know he sided with the serpentine after the humans attacked us."

 

"Attacked you ? The serpentine raided a village and slaughtered everyone in it first!" Garmadon scoffed as he shot a destructive blast at a cultist.

 

"No, the humans assassinated my cousin Yukene and her family! Arcturus was so furious he threw the peace he wanted so badly out the window and declared war."

 

"It sounds to me like Chen was playing both sides of the conflict and fanning the flames." Jay hissed as he shot lightning at a cultist.

 

"Anyways, Chen and his friends turned themselves into anacondrai using most of the elemental powers, but they're missing the one to make it permanent. Yours." Lloyd said. "Can't believe someone like you could have an elemental power though."

 

"You have the elemental power of imagination, Pythor. They need you alive to harness it." Wu said before he turned to Zane. "How much farther to the helicopter?"

 

"18 meters."

 

"I see it!"

 

A large helicopter sat just behind the trees in a small clearing. Pythor looked behind the group and gasped before he grabbed Wu in his tail and yanked him to the side. A rocket flew past them at that exact second and struck the helicopter, turning the cockpit into shrapnel.

 

"Karlof!" Cole shouted, but smiled when he saw the master of metal in his armor form running around the helicopter.

 

"Karlof turned to metal just before rocket struck."

 

"Glad you're okay man. What do we do now though? There's just no end to them!"

 

"Get him now!" A cultist ordered as a dozen of them charged through the trees.

 

Pythor grunted and grabbed the chain of the cuffs, shattering it and the cuffs with it.

 

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" Kai demanded.

 

"Getting involved.” He slapped his tail on the ground, sending arcs of energy racing across the ground. Large chunks of earth smashed into several of them, and a few had sharp spikes pierce them right through the chest.

 

"Holy shit…" Jay said as he stared at the mess before Pythor grabbed his gi and yanked him forward.

 

"Let's go. Hope you have a backup plan." Pythor said as everyone took off and Zane got on the radio.

 

"Nya, I need you to bring the bounty to our location, the cultists destroyed the helicopter." Zane said as Pythor turned invisible. "Where do you think you're going?"

 

"I'm not going anywhere. Since I'm needed so badly, I'm going to take the heat off of us. They need me alive, they won't shoot at us if they think they could hit me."

 

"Great thinking, I'll get us some wheels!" Jay said and dug underground as Cole created some cover with a rock wall.

 

About a minute later, Jay came back with a buggy that he had transformed with his fangpyre venom. Wu, Garmadon, and Karlof jumped into the seats while Pythor sat in the middle of the backseat. Jay took off and several condrai crushers followed them in hot pursuit.

 

"Holy shit! How many of these guys are there?!" Pythor yelled as he watched some of them shooting at the ninja on their elemental dragons.

 

"Too many!" Karlof yelled as he looked up at the sky. "They have helicopters! Pedal to the metal, Jay!"

 

"I got this thing floored!"

 

Wu looked over to Jay's side and gasped. "Watch ou-!"

 

Pythor looked too, and saw another buggy right as it rammed into them. The world went end-over-end as he got thrown from the vehicle and tumbled in the mud.

 

Pythor grunted as he tried to get up and felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. He looked back and gasped as he saw a dart in his scales and immediately yanked it out with his tail.

 

"Pythor!"

 

He looked up as his vision quickly darkened and saw Lloyd running over towards him. Garmadon grabbed him and yanked him behind a rock as a blade copter started shooting a machine gun at him. Pythor reached out for him before everything went dark…

 

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"Rise and shine Pythor!"

 

Pythor grunted as the side of his face stung, and he opened his eyes to see several purple figures in front of him. He shook his head to clear his vision and looked around.

 

"Recognize where we are? Sure has been a while since we both were in the same room, huh?"

 

Pythor's head stung and he tried to reach up to rub it, but he couldn't even lift his hand, and looked down to see shackles binding his wrists to the chair. Pythor tried to destroy them, but his hands wouldn't even light up.

 

"Oh, don't bother trying to break those, they're vengestone."

 

"Long time no see, Chen. Last time I saw you, you were covered in shit. You still look like it."

 

"Ah yes, yes, sticks and stones."

 

Pythor's smirk got immediately wiped off of his face when Chen whipped around and slugged him right in the face. Chen wrapped his hand tight around his throat as he kept slamming the brass knuckle on his hand into his mouth and face, tearing a loud grunt from Pythor with each swing.

 

"There, that's much better isn't it? Not so funny now, are you?"

 

Pythor just spit blood in Chen's face and earned another swing for it, this one breaking one of his larger fangs and sending it flying into the wall.

 

"You're lucky I need you alive for this snake. If I kill you, your power will just go to one of your relatives. Actually, maybe I will go and do that. Sakuzei should inherit it after all. Tell me, do you think there's enough blood in his body to use for my entire army?"

 

"D-D-Don't… you d-dare hu-hurt him…" Pythor coughed as he looked up at the smiling pseudo-serpentine.

 

"Whether or not I hurt him is up to you. Behave yourself and let me take your blood, and I'll leave him be. Resist, and I'll kill you, and then drain every single drop of blood from your cousin's pathetic, scaly body."

 

"You don't e-e-even know where h-he lives."

 

"12553 Oak Raines Road Northeast, Smooth Stone, Arasi no tsuno. Top floor, right corner room at the back."

 

Pythor couldn't slow down his breathing no matter how hard he tried as Chen stared at him. Before, Chen's eyes were a warm, brown color, but now, with an anacondrai's face, they were a sharp and cold magenta. They bore deep into his soul, and he knew how Chen felt when he lifted him up by the neck and choked him in this very room.

 

"What will it be?"

 

Pythor looked away and closed his eyes. "Fine… do it."

 

"Okay, nice knowing you! Eyezor, bring me my sword. Zugu, ready a blade copter."

 

"Wait, what are you doing?" Pythor asked as he looked back at Chen with wide eyes as he was handed a very decorative sword.

 

"You said to do it. We're going to kill you and kidnap your nephew."

 

"I meant to take my blood dammit!"

 

"Oh, well you just said to 'do it'. How could I have known what you meant?" Chen grinned and slithered over to the door to open it. "Zugu! Forget about preparing the blade copter! … I know what I said! I was screwing with Pythor! I knew what he meant! … Just get back here!"

 

Chen slammed the door shut and groaned. "Serpentine these days… can you believe them? They know nothing about discipline or respect or honor."

 

"Yeah, they're the ones who really need work." Pythor said as a needle was pushed into his left arm.

 

"I know! My old crew knew how to get work done, or at least, they did before you came along." Chen said as he sat down in a chair behind the desk

 

"'Get work done'? You were running them ragged and stealing all the credit and money for yourself!"

 

"Hey, running a business takes a lot of resources. I needed to put food on the table too."

 

"You lived alone."

 

"So?"

 

"They were happier under my leadership, Chen. I made sure they were compensated fairly and respected while still keeping them in line."

 

"Well, I'm sure they weren't happy about you letting snakes into their ranks."

 

" Serpentine , you fucking xenophobe, and they didn't care. It didn't matter if you were human or serpentine, man or woman, or the color of your skin; as long as you did your job and did it well, you had nothing to worry about."

 

"Blah blah blah! I should have just killed you when I met you."

 

"Your mistake, thanks to you, I was able to make this city a better place for serpentine."

 

"Oh really, are you sure about that?"

 

"Huh? Of course I-"

 

"I heard about what you did with this city after you overthrew me and became the leader of my metalwork company." Chen said as he slithered over to Pythor and leaned over him. "You only made things worse."

 

"No I didn't! I wanted to give serpentine a place to live where they didn't have to worry about how wealthy they were or what tribe they were from. I gave them equality here where the king and queen couldn't hurt them!"

 

"'Equality'? Hah! That's rich! At what cost, Pythor? You bought out human businesses or drove them into bankruptcy so that serpentine ones could thrive, and if they didn't cooperate, you'd kill them! I heard you killed Michael Borg for instance. Poor Cyrus, losing his father at such a young age, oh it just brings tears to my eyes."

 

Pythor hissed and looked away as he turned himself invisible. It wasn't more than a few moments before he saw his scales reappearing before his eyes though. He looked back over at Chen, who now held the anacondrai staff, and the antivenom capsule on it glowed a bright purple.

 

"You can't hide from the truth, Pythor. You didn't make the serpentine loved, you made them feared and resented. This continued after the war too though. You unleashed the great devourer in an act of revenge for the war crimes committed during the serpentine war, and you helped the literal embodiment of evil and darkness become the most powerful being in Ninjago!"

 

Pythor couldn't stop shaking as Chen leaned over him, his face only centimeters from his as he started hyperventilating.

 

"I know where you came from… Pythor Asclepia."

 

"Don't call me that. My last name is Acryla."

 

"History books would beg to differ, Asclepia. You became the mayor and tyrant of this town because you wanted to give the serpentine what you couldn't back in Quetzalcoatl."

 

"Stop."

 

"You became so desperate to lead the serpentine revolution because you felt guilty for allowing them to suffer in serpentine P.O.W. camps and be beaten to death or raped."

 

"I said stop."

 

"And you helped lead the overlord against humans and serpentine alike because you wanted to prove to yourself that you knew what was best for the serpentine. Because if you couldn't… then you'd learn that you were still just the scared little prince… too afraid to stand up to mommy and daddy."

 

"DAMMIT JUST STOP IT ALREADY! PLEASE JUST STOP!"

 

Chen grinned and pressed his scaled hand against Pythor's throat as another anacondrai stopped the blood flow and handed the bags to another.

 

"Do you recall what you said to me before you threw me in a cart full of shit all those years ago? 'Do you really think you have any power here? You think that as long as you flash a gun around or threaten someone's family they'll do what you say? You weren't born with power like the elemental masters or serpentine were. You're worthless , Chen. You'll never amount to anything. Between us, only one can remain, and it's going to be me.'"

 

Chen pressed harder against his throat as he began to squeeze it with both hands. Pythor tried to reach up with his hands and tail to push him away, but they were still bound. His breathing got weaker and weaker as Chen leaned in until his scales were almost brushing against Pythor's.

 

"I swore that I would make you suffer for disgracing me. I swore that I would break you, and here you are, crying like a little hatchling. But I'm not done with you yet though." Chen hissed as his red eyes narrowed and his mouth twisted into a smirk. "The humans wanted war because 'serpentine' burned down their village, and the serpentine declared it because Arcturus's daughter and her family were murdered. You wanna know a secret?"

 

Chen leaned in close to Pythor's ear as his vision started to get dark.

 

"I'm the one that killed them." Chen released the pressure and stood back as he laughed while Pythor choked for air. "I used a jade blade and painted the walls of their home with their blood, and oh boy you should have seen Arcturus's reaction! I can still hear his crying even now!"

 

Pythor gasped and looked up at Chen, who simply grinned down at him.

 

"Four more deaths that you couldn't prevent, and once the royal family and Skales bow to the might of the anacondrai, the rest of your family will follow. Lock him up, people!" Chen said and slithered over to the door, stopping to glance at Pythor one last time. "Only one can remain, Pythor, and it's going to be me."

Chapter 6: The Second Serpentine War

Summary:

Pythor is left broken in a cell, struggling to find direction in his life, when an inspirational voice comes over the radio. Pythor is given the strength to break free of his bonds. He rushes towards Ninjago City and joins the resistance in fighting Adrian Chen's army with the key to their defeat, not knowing that he will suffer a loss as well...

"Why did we have to get stuck with guarding this loser?"

 

"Because Chen told us to. Once he's gotten the royal lotus family and Skales to surrender, he plans to take Pythor's elemental power for himself and use it to expand his rule."

 

"You sure it's a good idea to be saying all this when he can hear us?"

 

"Eh, it doesn't matter that he can. He still can't do anything to stop us. He's bound with vengestone and he's hardly said a word in the five days he's been here."

 

"Yeah, you're probably right. Can't believe this guy was a prince, a mafia boss, and a general. Look at him now."

 

Pythor sat coiled up in the cell he had been locked up in with his back against the wall. A quiet sigh left his mouth as he stared at his hands, which were cuffed and connected by a short chain.

 

"You must be so disappointed in me, Xiuh. You loved me so much, you still wanted me to be a part of your life even after I stole enough money for you to buy your way out of servitude. You were so happy when you found out I gave you children. Tell me, would you still have fallen in love with me… if you knew what I'd become when you were gone?"

 

Pythor groaned as he was snapped out of his thoughts when his stomach turned and cramped. It seemed like forever since the guards here had given him anything to eat. It was beginning to seem a lot like Kryptarium.

 

"Everything alright in there?" A cult member asked as he didn't even bother to look up from his computer.

 

"No."

 

"Good."

 

"I'm starving. I thought you guys wanted to keep me alive?"

 

"Chen does. We could care less about you."

 

"I'm sure he wouldn't be too happy with you if I died here before he got back. Imagine what he'd do to you if he couldn't get my imagination powers."

 

"So? Go ahead, kill yourself." The man said with a wave of his hand.

 

"What?"

 

"If you die, he'll just get it from another relative of yours. He's not going to kill them before you, so please, kill yourself, so we can get off this fucking assignment."

 

Pythor stayed silent for a second before he sighed. Laughter filled the room and he looked up to see the anacondrai laughing at him.

 

"Oh man, did you honestly forget about that? Sheesh, you are pathe- Hey! Krait! I told you not to light up in here!"

 

"Suck my dicks, Chope. Maybe you'll be better than those Kabuki girls were."

 

"At least open a window dammit!"

 

"This is a prison! The windows don't open!"

 

"Some do!"

 

A radio was turned on down the hall with the volume up high. Chope groaned and flipped off the other cultist before he turned back to the computer.

 

"Fucking asshole… I'm getting a drink!"

 

"Grab me one too!"

 

"Fine, I'll break it over your damn head!"

 

He slithered off and slammed the door shut behind him. Shortly afterwards Krait grumbled about something and left too, leaving Pythor all alone in the damp prison. The music on the radio changed to static, and a familiar voice came on it.

 

"Attention all of Ninjago. This is Cyrus Borg with an emergency announcement. Adrian Chen and his army have captured Jamankai Village and are centralizing their forces to attack Ninjago City. If you are in any of the villages or townships between Jamankai Village and Ninjago City, please evacuate immediately."

 

Pythor looked up at the dark clouds covering the sky and sighed. His blood had made the transformation into anacondrai permanent, and now blood was being shed because of his.

 

"These fake anacondrai, they seek to threaten our way of life, to strike us down and rule over us like we are nothing. However, to everyone hearing this, do not lose hope. Although the ninja may be scattered, they are still fighting to protect us, as are the ashigaru and the samurai. We can fight too!"

 

Pythor turned away from the window and slithered over to the gate to look at the radio.

 

"Although not all of us may be able to match an anacondrai's strength, their magic, their speed, or their invisibility, we are not powerless. We can block roads, lock gates, blind them with bright lights; every action we take against them can make a difference, even if it is something as simple as giving a water bottle to a police officer."

 

Pythor grabbed the bars of the cell and looked at his hands. His heart was pounding, but his hands did not shake.

 

"It does not matter if we are a man or a woman, a human or a serpentine, a child or an adult, we are all strong, and we can fight. I will be joining the fight, on the front lines. We can win this figh-"

 

"Alright, that's enough of that. Back away from the door." Krait said after he turned off the radio.

 

Pythor gripped the bars even tighter. "No."

 

"That wasn't a request, snake."

 

"I said 'no', snake."

 

"Oh! You're a funny one, aren't you? You got a death wish?" He said as he drew a handgun and pointed it at Pythor's face.

 

"Nah, I'm quite keen on living. Oh, I'm also going to be leaving here. Cyrus is right, even I can do something to help fight you guys."

 

"You can't do anything to stop us, you have vengestone suppressing your powers!"

 

“So?” He asked, and spat right in Chope's eye.

 

Chope immediately recoiled, but not far enough. Pythor grabbed his vest through the bars and slammed him into them. His gun clattered to the floor and Pythor ducked to grab it. Krait raced to unholster his gun, and Pythor immediately shot him twice in the chest. Chope made to run, and Pythor immediately shot him right through the head.

 

The cultist collapsed to the ground, and Pythor immediately raced to grab him, struggling to reach him. Finally, he got the idea to push his tail through the bars and dragged him closer. He unhooked the key ring and unlocked the cell along with his cuffs, just in time as several cultists came into the room.

 

“He's loose! Open fi-” He shot another one in the chest, and took advantage of the chaos to grab Krait's gun. He ducked behind a corner and took a deep breath before turning invisible.

 

“Spread out and find him!” One guard yelled and they split up through the room and those just outside.

 

“I can't waste time dealing with them. I have to get to Ninjago City.” Pythor thought as a guard walked past him, sweeping their tail along the ground to search for his. Throwing stealth to the wind, he aimed and fired, blowing the guards head open.

 

“He's in here! He's invisible!” Another one yelled.

 

“I'll find him!” A guard yelled, and Pythor saw them holding the staff. Immediately he shot them through the neck and chest, and tossed the now empty gun to the side.

 

The other one started shooting blindly through the room, and Pythor ducked behind a wall, grunting as his tail was cut by a couple of bullets.

 

“I can see you~”

 

Pythor grabbed a fire extinguisher off the wall and swung it into their face with an audible clang, knocking them to the ground. He barely even looked at them as he shot them in the face, and unloaded the extinguisher into another's.

 

He dropped it and put them into a chokehold, keeping the gun pressed to their head. “Where is the book of spells?! Tell me! Now!”

 

“Go to hell!” The woman yelled, only to scream when Pythor shot them in the gut. Twice.

 

“I don't have time for games! Tell me or the next one goes a little lower!”

 

“Chen has it in the safe in the corner office on this floor! But I don't know the combination!”

 

“That's okay, thanks for your help.” He said, and snapped their neck.

 

He made his way to the office, carefully checking for other guards along the way. Finding none, he hurried over to the safe and focused on the door with his elemental power. A couple of seconds later, it blew off, crashing into the wall, and he hissed as he shook his hand in pain.

 

“Gonna have to work on that.” He grumbled and grabbed the book of spells. He hurried up to the roof of the building and held the book in his teeth as he took his dragon form. “Here I go… fuck I'm going to be so tired after this.”

 

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[3 hours later]

 

"Shit shit shit SHIT!"

 

Pythor dropped towards the Ninjago City Central police station faster than he could get air under him, and slammed into the face of the building with his wings flat against the wall, cracking the large glass window on the building.

 

A few seconds later he flopped backwards onto the concrete steps of the building and transformed back into a serpentine and groaned.

 

"Ugh… definitely gonna have to improve my endurance before I try flying that far again…"

 

Pythor heard clicks and opened his eyes to see half a dozen police officers pointing their guns at him.

 

"Oh uhh… hello officers."

 

Pythor was immediately rolled over onto his stomach and cuffed before being shoved up and pushed into the building.

 

"Hey. Hey! I didn't come here to be arrested."

 

"You have the right to remain sil-"

 

"I've been through this before, you don't need to read me my rights. I'm here to help!"

 

"Yeah, sure. You can help by paying the fine you'll be slapped with for criminal mischief for damaging this building.”

 

"That wasn't on purpose! That was the first time I've ever flown that far before!"

 

"What in blazes is going on here?! Can't a man paint his boat in peace?" Pythor looked up to the commissioner of Ninjago City police, Thomas Bankers, storming into the lobby of the building, and noticed a blue streak on his pants.

 

"Pythor broke the glass on the front wall of the building."

 

He looked up and had his jaw drop as he saw the shattered and cracked panes on the ornate window.

 

"How in the underworld did he do that?"

 

"Ummm… I can uhhhh… transform into a dragon now."

 

Commissioner Bankers looked at Pythor for a few seconds before he doubled over and started laughing. "Oh man! That is just rich! Hoo boy, I needed a good laugh. Alright, take him away boys."

 

Pythor resisted moving for a second as they tried to force him out of the lobby. "Hey! Wait, I came here to help deal with Adrian's army!"

 

"Wait a second officers, what do you mean you came here to help?"

 

Pythor sighed and looked outside. "I was kidnapped by Adrian after they discovered that I held the key to making their transformation into anacondrai permanent. After that, I was thrown in jail while people all across the continent had their lives ended because of the blood that was taken from me. I want to help stop them."

 

"You're kidding… right?"

 

Pythor turned and looked him right in the eyes. "No, I'm not. People are losing their lives because of me. I know it sounds weird and crazy that I care about this given my past history, but… I really don't want anyone else to get hurt. I heard Cyrus's message, and I want to help."

 

"Definitely kidding. Take him away."

 

Pythor's eyes snapped and he threw himself out of the grip of the police officers and grabbed the chain of the cuffs shattering it in a spark of color.

 

"I told you I am NOT lying about this!" Pythor threw his arm out and pointed at the window as he ignored the guns pointed at him. "Those monsters out there robbed serpentine graves and they are wearing the bones of my kind like they're a fucking costume! They are heading for Quetzalcoatl at this very moment and no one can stand against them! People are dying dammit!"

 

Pythor clenched his fist and held it to his chest as he glared at them.

 

"This is bigger than me, okay?! I'm talking about the safety of everyone on this continent! Chen isn't going to stop after he takes over Quetzalcoatl, he's going to come here and destroy everyone's lives. Cyrus said that anyone could help fight this army, and that it doesn't matter who you are. So let me help!"

 

Pythor felt his throat begin to itch and coughed harshly into his hand several times. He breathed slowly for several seconds before he looked back at the police officers, who now had their guns slightly lowered.

 

"I just want to help fight these bastards and end this goddamn war. So please, just… take me to the front lines so that there can be one more person standing between them and the people behind us. I'll even let you take me there in cuffs if you want, I don't care."

 

Almost everyone had their guns lowered now save for a couple people, and no one made a sound as they all stared at him. When a windowpane fell from the cracked glass, it was almost deafening and Pythor flinched at the sound.

 

"What happened to you?"

 

"It's not something that I could explain quickly enough or in enough detail to make it easier to understand, Commissioner. I think Cyrus gave his broadcast about a quarter after 10, and it took me about two-and-a-half hours to fly here. Chen may be approaching our borders right now. I'm not sure what I could say that would answer that to be honest."

 

"Sir, what are we going to do with him?" One of the officers still pointing his gun at Pythor asked.

 

"First off, you and Revos are going to lower your guns."

 

"But he's-"

 

"I said lower your guns." The Commissioner ordered and turned to another police officer. "Captain Wernas, prepare a chopper, the rest of you, return to your positions and continue preparing for an attack on this city. No complaints, that's an order!"

 

"Wait, what's going on?" Pythor asked as he looked around at some of the officers doing as ordered, others glaring at him as they did too.

 

"What's going on is that I'm probably about to lose my badge. We're taking you to the Echo canyons where Chen's army is attempting to enter Ninjago's borders. Here are the rules, Pythor. If you don't die, you're going to come right back to the custody of Ninjago police. After that… we'll figure something out."

 

"Alright. That's fine by me I guess."

 

"No objections? No 'maybe I won't come back then'?"

 

"Would it really be smart to say that after everything I already have? Come on, we can walk and talk. I don't like standing around, I want to feel like I'm doing something."

 

"Let's get this out of the way, cause I'm so weirded out my mustache is on the fritz. What's going on with you? Where the hell have you been? You vanished from Kryptarium three months ago."

 

"I honestly don't know what's going on with me. That leads into the second question. I was kidnapped because… well… some people didn't like how I was acting as of late, and they wanted to fix that."

 

"Care to explain?"

 

Pythor's breath caught in his chest as they went up the stairs and he tried to think of what to say.

 

“I don't even know if I can explain it properly. Have you ever felt like you never had a choice in your life? Like everything was already decided for you, and you were just along for the ride?”

 

“No?”

 

“Well, that's what they told me. I don't even know if it's true. Ugh… I… fuck...” He grunted and fell into the wall, holding himself there as the lights in the room flashed for a minute.

 

“Woah, Pythor. Are you alright?” He asked, running over to him.

 

“I'm… I'm… fine. I… just needed to rest for a minute. Don't worry about me. That flight took a lot out of me. I need to get to the battlefield.”

 

“You look really light-headed. How much blood did they take from you?”

 

“Just half a liter, I haven't eaten anything in days.” He hissed. “I need to get there. I'll be fine.”

 

“Follow me.” He said, and went into a break room, with Pythor reluctantly following him. He put several bills in a vending machine and got a couple of granola bars, and promptly handed them to Pythor.

 

“Ummm, thanks.”

 

"You're going to come back right?"

 

"Yeah. I'm probably going to be killed no matter who gets custody over me. Can't say I don't deserve it though."

 

The Commissioner glanced back at him for a second as they left the room. "We'll figure things out."

 

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"You sure you're alright, Pythor?"

 

Pythor sat pressed against one of the rear seats in the helicopter, holding his tail tightly to his chest as it and his hands shook.

 

"Y-y-y-yeah I-I-I'm fine! Just e-enjoying the v-v-v-views!"

 

"You didn't tell us you were scared of flying."

 

"I'm not! J-Just f-forgot how loud h-h-helic-copters were!"

 

"Get ready, Pythor. We're coming up on the-”

 

“Rockets, 2:00!”

 

The helicopter immediately turned, and a thunderous explosion blew off the tail of the helicopter, sending it spinning. It only got worse when half of the cockpit was blown out, and Pythor saw the pilot flying towards the glass.

 

Without even thinking, he sprung off the wall and grabbed onto a bar, shooting his tail out and wrapping it around her leg. He hissed and held on tighter, pulling her in and wrapping himself around the rest of the officers.

 

“I got you.”

 

The helicopter started floating in the air, and he looked around. “Or… something's got us.”

 

It was set on the ground, and a voice started yelling at them to get out. They didn't move, and someone looked in through the broken cockpit. “Hey, you're police right? We're friendly! Name's Gravis, master of gravity! Come on! We gotta move, this area's being shelled by artillery!”

 

The pilot cried out as she attempted to move, and Pythor grimaced. “Fuck, I think I pulled her leg out of her hips.”

 

“It's better than being dead, which we're about to be if we don't move!” A man yelled, and shoved Pythor out of the back. Pythor hissed and reached through the broken window to grab the book of spells he had kept in a compartment, while the others helped pull the pilot out.

 

“Gravis, you know where the Destiny’s Bounty is? I need to get this spell book to the ninja. It can stop this battle in a heartbeat.”

 

“Alright, I'll get you up there. Climb on and keep your head down!” Gravis immediately summoned his elemental dragon and hurriedly motioned Pythor forwards. The ground around them started to explode as artillery shells landed around them, and Pythor flinched as the loud noises surrounded him. “Climb on and keep your head down!” He said and summoned his elemental dragon, which Pythor quickly got on. He held on to him as they quickly flew away from the artillery.

Pythor looked back and saw that an armored vehicle was carrying away the downed police and military crew, and breathed a sigh of relief. Soon, they too were out of the artillery range and were quickly approaching the Destiny’s Bounty. Gravis approached the deck of the airship, and Pythor carefully slid down to it. “Thanks a lot for getting me out of there so quickly.”

“You’re welcome. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to the battlefield.”

 

"What the hell are you doing here?" Lloyd demanded as he stepped over to Pythor.

 

"I came here to help! I got Cyrus Borg's message just like you all did." He said as he backed away from Lloyd, almost falling over as his head spun.

 

"We don't want or need your help, get lost."

 

"Lloyd, language." Wu said. "Are you alright, Pythor? You look really tired.”

“They took over half a liter of my blood to turn themselves into what they are now. Maybe more than that. I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you’re here to help? And what's that you're holding?" Misako asked.

 

"The book of spells Adrian had. I stole it from the guys guarding me and flipped through it on the way here to see if there was anything that could be used against the fake anacondrai, and there is."

 

"What is it?"

 

"The book can banish individuals to the cursed realm, but there's also a spell in it on page 170 that can free them from it. Like Arcturus and the other generals. They were all very skilled mages, and if they were freed, they could curse Adrian and his army, stopping the threat to the rest of Ninjago."

 

"You can pull them out of the cursed realm? Just like that?" Garmadon asked as Pythor gripped the book tightly and looked away.

 

"Not exactly. It's not that simple."

 

"Then what is it? What's the catch?"

 

Pythor swallowed and looked at Lloyd, then down at the book. "To banish someone to the cursed realm and subject them to torment is an action that isn't taken lightly. If one has a change of heart and wishes to free them, they can, but… the one who banished them must take their place."

 

"This is all just some twisted game to you isn't it, Pythor?!" Lloyd yelled as he stomped even close to Pythor after he gave the book to Garmadon. "It wasn't enough pushing him into the ocean, but now you want to send him to eternal torment! Is this all you are? Just some sick monster who can't ever be happy until everyone else is suffering?"

 

"Lloyd! He's right!"

 

Lloyd turned around to see his father looking at the open book, his slit pupils narrowed and his jaw open as he stared at the book.

 

"There's no other way. Adrian and his army have a large number of helicopters and outfitted them with missiles and heavy cannons. They're making their way over the canyons as we speak."

 

"There has to be! There's always a way, that's what you and Sensei Wu have taught us!"

 

"Not this time son. Magic has its rules. Pythor is right, the cursed realm is a horrid place, and my banishment of them was a cruel act, one made in haste and rampant emotions. We have already welcomed the rest of the serpentine into our lives, we should extend that hand towards Arcturus and his friends as well."

 

Lloyd clenched his fists and glared at Pythor before Misako put her hand on the book and looked at Garmadon.

 

"Hold on, love. Maybe Lloyd is onto something. We don't even know if the former king and anacondrai generals will help us. They could just curse everyone for what was done to them."

 

"I know I wasn't around for it, but I know that my dad wanted peace. He only declared war after Adrian murdered his daughter and grandchildren in cold blood and framed the humans for it. He played both sides and everyone suffered for it. Arcturus wouldn't curse people who weren't involved in the war, or good people like you and the ninja."

 

"I cannot allow this brother. We can figure something else out. Reinforcements from Metalonia are on their way, they can handle this."

 

"People are dying right now. The reinforcements won’t get here in time. We don't have any other choice. I was the one who read the spell and banished them, it has to be me who makes the sacrifice."

 

"You want my blessing to walk out on us again, father, fine. But don't expect me to stick around to watch you go. My real family needs me."

 

"Lloyd! Wait! I don't think this is the right thing to do." Pythor said as he slithered over to the edge of the ship. "You should be here for this. This could be the last time that you-"

 

"You better shut your mouth if you know what's good for you." Lloyd said and turned around to glare down at him, his blazing green eyes sending a chill down Pythor's spine. "After everything you've done to me and my friends, you honestly believe that you have any right to act like you know what is best for me?"

 

"I know that I-"

 

Lloyd jumped down and stepped up to Pythor until he was centimeters away from his chest, and looked him dead in the eyes. "Making sure I was fed, didn't get sick, saving me from a child abductor at an amusement park. It was all a lie. You wouldn't know what it's like to raise a child. Go fuck yourself."

 

Pythor felt like a huge spike had been driven right through his heart, and watched as Lloyd turned away and jumped off the ship.

 

"Pythor?"

 

He sighed and shook his head as he ignored Misako's question.

 

"You three should probably get someplace safe. Once Adrian finds out what you're doing, he'll stop at nothing to kill you and take back his spell book."

 

"What are you going to do?" Wu asked.

 

"I'm going to make sure they can't. I'll need a sword. A bow and some arrows too."

 

Nya's voice came over the speakers. "Whatever you all are planning out there, you better put it into action soon! They're sending attack helicopters after us!"

 

Wu nodded and ran off while the bounty hit its thrusters and took off. Misako and Garmadon looked at each other and then at Pythor.

 

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

 

They nodded and went to the bridge while Wu came out with an anacondrai sword and a bow. "Thank you for doing this, Pythor, really." 

 

Pythor nodded and took the quiver of anacondrai arrows. "Yeah. You should probably get up there. Misako has already started reading the spell."

 

Wu ran up the steps while Pythor slithered over to the side of the ship and watched as a swirling blue portal opened up in the sky. He looked back over and quickly drew an arrow and released it at a cultist heading towards them.

 

"By the first master… there are so many of them."

 

Pythor took aim at the next cultist and hit him in the chest with an arrow. He released them one after another and ducked underneath the edge of the ship when some of them started sending arrows back.

 

A roar echoed through the sky and Pythor looked over to see bright green fire enveloping the cultists. Several others were sent falling to their deaths by Lloyd's tail before he transformed back into a human and jumped up to the bridge.

 

Pythor cried out as an arrowhead buried itself in his tail and immediately sent one at the attacker. Just as he snapped the arrowshaft in half, a fake anacondrai jumped onto the ship. He leapt at Pythor and was sent spiraling over the edge after he had his neck ensnared in his tail.

 

"Don't stop for me!" He yelled when Wu took a step towards him. He grabbed the bow in his tail and drew his sword. "You have more important things to deal with!"

 

He lunged at a cultist and ducked low, slashed at their gut, and cut clean through their neck. Pythor threw another one to the ground and cut their throat before he saw one making their way for the bridge. He switched back to the bow, releasing an arrow into their skull and sending them to the deck.

 

Lloyd finished reading the spell, and a bright blue flash filled the sky as Garmadon was banished to the cursed realm. Several glowing wisps came out of the portal and took off towards the fake anacondrai and began cursing them. As the wisps touched the fake anacondrai, they all started to take on an eerie, phosphoric glow, ancient magic coursing through their bodies.

 

"The spirits of the anacondrai generals." Wu said as the army began to fall left and right.

 

"Dad." Pythor gasped as he smiled and looked back up at the three. "We did it, they're being cursed!"

 

Wu and Misako nodded, but Lloyd didn't return Pythor's smile. Right then, out of the corner of his eye, Pythor saw something move through a pool of blood towards the steps to the bridge, and his own blood turned cold. He sprung off his tail and leapt for the railing, throwing himself over it and shoving Lloyd into the bridge.

 

Pythor felt his right arm flare up and he shot his neck out, sinking his fangs into scales. Blood filled his mouth as the fake anacondrai became visible, clutching at his gaping throat and pushing Pythor away. Pythor grunted as he rolled down the steps, but screamed as his arm began to burn with the worst pain in his entire life. He leaned up and gasped when he saw a bloody stump right where his right arm used to be.

 

"No… oh god…"

 

"Pythor! Oh no…" Misako ran over and knelt down next to him. "Somebody get me a tourniquet! Nya! We need to leave, get us to one of the red plus tents!"

 

"Why? What hap-" She asked before she gasped and ran back inside while Wu handed Misako what she asked for.

 

"He's losing too much blood. Damn..."

 

"Dammit… I-I don't want to die. I want to see Arcturus again." He cried and whimpered as Misako tightened the belt on his arm.

 

"You will, we'll make sure he knows." Wu promised as Lloyd came up.

 

"You… you saved me, even after I… why?"

 

"Cause you… you would have… you would have died if I… if I didn't. You were… right… about me. I was a… monster. I hurt you… so much… and…"

 

Misako gently put her hand on Pythor's chest. "Pythor, please save your energy. Don't talk, you're going to be alright."

 

He hissed and pulled her arm off as he tried to stay conscious. "No… I need… to say this. Lloyd… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please… forgive me. Please…"

 

"Pythor… I do. Pythor… no… please… Pythor!"

 

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Was that… wind?

 

Why did he feel so cool? It felt like a nice breeze was washing over his scales in just the right way, and it was so bright out too…

 

Pythor opened his eyes and winced at the bright light before he sat up and gasped at what he saw.

 

Everywhere around him, as far as the eye could see, was nothing but luscious green grass and vibrant wildflowers. Chunks of rocks floated in the sky in every direction, some of them small, others absolutely enormous and with trees growing on them.

 

"Where am I?"

 

He looked down at his right arm and felt his breath leave his chest when it was all there, from shoulder to hand. No blood at all. Grass shuffled behind him, and he turned his head around to see a man with a large straw hat approaching him, his features obscured by the bright light behind him.

 

"Hello, Pythor."

 

Pythor pushed himself up and turned to face him, bowing slightly.

 

"Hello, Gōitsu."

 

"Ah, I see you know my name. Not many people who come here do."

 

"I had access to one of the best libraries in the world in my youth. There is a lot that I learned there. Sadly, not enough to be a decent person."

 

"Is that so? It is my understanding that you have done a lot for serpentine and humans throughout your life. Especially recently."

 

A sardonic laugh slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it. "You're kidding, right? A man as wise and aware of things as you are must know the cruel acts I've committed. There's no way these things you speak of can atone for them."

 

"No, I am not kidding. Just now, you have saved all of Ninjago from a powerful threat, and you are the reason it was stopped. You also saved my grandson from certain death. You didn't hesitate to throw yourself into harm's way to save his life. That act speaks volumes."

 

Pythor looked down at the grass and felt his heart sink. His thoughts drifted to the lives of the people in Myonlac he ruined through his extortion and racketeering, his spearheading of the serpentine revolution, and aiding the very demon who fought against the man before him now.

 

"Yes, I am well aware of the actions you have performed throughout your life and their heinous nature. Any good person must condemn them." Pythor looked back up at him as he spoke. "However, your life is not yet over, if you so choose. You are free to choose your own path now."

 

"'Not yet over'? I don't get it. Am I… dead?"

 

"What is "death"? Is it when our bodies cease to function? Is it when our souls leave one realm and move to another? Or is it when people look at us and no longer see someone? Are any of those when we cease to exist?"

 

Gōitsu leaned down to pick up a flower and look at it, then threw it up in the air and watched as it vanished into a cloud of blue sparkles.

 

"The truth is that although all things come to an end, there are no true endings. You see, endings are just new beginnings."

 

Pythor looked down at the grass and turned his gaze towards the golden dragon that laid curled up in the fields. Their yellow eyes were trained on Pythor, and he could just tell that they held so much knowledge in them.

 

"Do you like my dragon?"

 

"Yes, I do." Pythor slithered over to them and looked up at them. "Hello, it's nice to meet you. What's your name?"

 

"Taiyō."

 

He raised his hand. "May I?"

 

Taiyō lowered his head and allowed Pythor to rub his snout, the scales feeling rough, yet seamless under his own.

 

"He likes you. He can sense the dragon blood that runs deep inside of you. It's also why you can understand him."

 

"Everyone in my family can. We even had our own dragons back in my home city. My uncle- well, dad in my opinion- has also traveled to the first realm and met a dragon called 'Firstbourne'. I always wanted to meet her. I've heard she is so incredible."

 

"Firstbourne is indeed a mighty dragon. Should you get the chance to meet her, I have faith that you will get along well. The power of imagination that you now wield first came from her."

 

"My power comes from a dragon?"

 

"Yes, it does. I inherited it from her and chose to give it to a serpentine friend of mine. I'm sure you will put it to good use."

 

"About that, there's so much about my powers and my lineage that I still don't understand. I don't know where to start."

 

"We can show you, if you choose to come with us."

 

Pythor looked up to see him sitting in the saddle aboard Taiyō, his hand outstretched. "To where?"

 

"To a new world, a new existence. You will be happy there, and you can reunite with loved ones that you have lost. Or, if you choose, you can return to Earth and follow wherever life may take you."

 

"'Loved ones'? Like… like my family? Xiuh, Cinder, Indigo?"

 

"Yes. They have chosen to come with us to help make this new world even better than it was before."

 

Pythor reached out his hand, the idea of reuniting with his fire serpent as well as his baby boy and girl made his heart race. But as his hand was almost in Gōitsu's, he paused.

 

Maera and her children were still out there, and Arcturus likely was too. Pythor especially wanted to see Lloyd again. His heart ached when he remembered all of the pain he caused him in his life, and wondered if Lloyd had really forgiven him, or just reacted in the heat of the moment.

 

He couldn't do any of that, truly fix things on Earth if he left.

 

"I'm sorry." He pulled his hand back. "Trust me, I so dearly want to be with my family, the hypnobrai that I loved and the children I gave life to, but I still have family back home, and I want to fix things there."

 

"I understand. You're certain of this?"

 

"Honestly, no, I'm not. I'm afraid."

 

Pythor lifted his head up and looked at the floating islands and mountains that filled the sky, and reached out to one.

 

"I've messed things up so much back on Earth, that I'm not even sure if things can be fixed. I don't have the slightest idea what will happen to me if I go back, but I feel like this is the right choice. I'm free to choose my own path now, aren't I?"

 

"Indeed you are, Pythor."

 

"What will happen now? How do I get home?"

 

"You will return naturally. You will think of this place as but a dream, and soon you will forget about it entirely, until the next time we meet."

 

Golden petals surrounded Pythor as the breeze picked up, and he looked back at Gōitsu.

 

"Before I go, if my wife and children are where you say they are, could you please deliver a message to them?"

 

He nodded.

 

"Please, tell them that I haven't forgotten about them, that I never have. That I love them with all my heart, and always will."

 

"Consider it done."

 

With that, the breeze picked up even more, and a bright light filled Pythor's vision.

Chapter 7: Recovery and Reunions

Summary:

Pythor wakes up in the hospital after the intense battle at the Echo Canyons missing an arm. He must now grapple with the shock of losing the limb while also dealing with a xenophobic police officer, and the return of his dad, Arcturus.

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[December 1st, 2015 - 10:40 am]

 

Pythor slowly opened his eyes and winced at the bright light coming in through the windows. He tried to reach up and shield his eyes, but he couldn't with either arm. He opened his eyes more and saw that his left arm was cuffed to the bed, and that his right arm… stopped halfway to his elbow.

 

He winced again when he tried to adjust himself and noticed that his right shoulder was bandaged and slightly red. He heard the door to his room open and looked up to see a nurse entering the room and a police officer following her in.

 

"Oh, you're awake. Good morning, Pythor. You woke up faster than we expected you to."

 

"Where am I? And why am I cuffed to the bed?"

 

"You're at Julien Memorial Hospital. You were brought here three days ago. As for why you are in restraints-"

 

"You're in the custody of the NCPD, and you are being treated as a dangerous criminal. As soon as you are able, you're going to be taken back to Kryptarium Prison."

 

Pythor felt his heart start beating faster at the mention of the prison, and immediately thought of Cell One. He'd be taken back there in this condition?

 

"The police have taken custody of you, so we have to make reasonable accommodations for them. How are you feeling right now, though?"

 

"Terrified." He said, looking at the police officer.

 

"Understandable. I suppose I could have been more clear. How are you feeling physically? Are you feeling nauseous? Are you in any pain?"

 

"My stomach feels weird, and my body hurts all over. My tail and my shoulder are stinging so badly and… my… my right arm… it's gone."

 

"I know. You will be seeing another nurse shortly who will discuss the operation with you in more detail. As for your nausea and pain, it is common for patients to experience such symptoms after waking up from general anesthesia."

 

"I feel so thirsty, and like I really need to use the restroom."

 

"We'll get you some water soon, as well as a bedpan so that you can relieve yourself. For right now, I'm going to be elevating your bed so that I can check your vitals. Could you please lift your left arm some?"

 

Pythor did so, and she wrapped a cuff around his arm and took his temperature in his mouth as it pressed down on him.

 

"Alright, your temperature is slightly low, also common with general anesthesia. Blood pressure is a little high, but it's understandable given the circumstances. I'd like to check your breathing next."

 

Pythor breathed as she instructed him to, and leaned forward carefully to avoid putting pressure on what he was told was a broken collarbone.

 

"Alright, that's that." She stepped away and handed the clipboard to someone, then came back with a metal pan. "Oh, would you prefer a male nurse?"

 

Pythor declined and the nurse started to close the curtain, but the police officer grabbed it.

 

"I'm afraid I can't leave you alone with the prisoner, ma'am."

 

"It will only be about a minute or so, sir."

 

"No exceptions I'm afraid."

 

"If he tries anything, the only thing separating us will be a curtain. Please, step back and let him have some privacy. I'll open the curtain when he is finished."

 

"He better be quick."

 

The nurse shut the curtain and helped Pythor turn onto his uninjured side, and after a moment of brief hesitation, he reached down and spread his cloaca open. He guided his hemipenes out and relieved himself into the metal pan, trying to ignore the noise it made.

 

After what seemed like an eternity, he finished and laid back as the nurse carried his urine out of the room and came back with some water.

 

"I brought you some fresh water. It's important to drink slowly and not too much, or you could throw up due to how long you've been under."

 

He nodded and sucked on the straw, glancing over to the police officer, who smirked at him. He felt like he would throw up right then, but the nurse drew his attention back.

 

"I just got the word from the staff that your vital signs are stable, so you'll be able to be moved to a room where you will continue to rest."

 

"Huh? What do you mean?"

 

"Well, we're going to need to keep you in the hospital for several days to evaluate your recovery and make sure you're stable before you are released. The doctor will explain it to you in more detail."

 

A short while later, Pythor was moved into a room overlooking the Ninjago City skyline. The nurse left to go get the doctor who would see him, but the police officer didn't follow her.

 

"These people here sure are nice, aren't they?"

 

"Huh?"

 

"The nurses and doctors and surgeons, they're just determined to give everyone here the best care they can. What a bunch of pussies."

 

Pythor watched as he stepped over to the window and looked outside after raising the blinds.

 

"The staff here are being trained on how serpentine are similar and different to humans so that more lives can be saved. Imagine that, the doctors here are trying to save the serpentine, and they forgot that four years ago, a giant snake rampaged through these very streets and took thousands of lives."

 

He turned around, and the look in his deep blue eyes sent shivers down Pythor's spine.

 

"See, if it were up to me, I'd just have all you vermin line up against the wall so we can pump your bodies full of lead. My father fought in the serpentine war against you snakes, and he stuffed and mounted heads from each tribe on the mantle. The anacondrai one was his favorite, and I reckon yours would look great on mine."

 

Pythor's fist clenched as his heart beat faster, and the officer grinned as he came over to the bed.

 

"Awww, did I strike a nerve? Well too bad. The only things your kind are good for are making shoes, belts, and purses. My girl loves white."

 

"You're a monster…" He said as he tugged on the handcuffs. What was taking that doctor so long?

 

"Oh, I'm the monster? That's rich, coming from the scaled freak of nature. With all the things you've done, I don't think you're in any position to talk shit to an officer of the law."

 

"I want you to leave."

 

"That's something we can agree on. If I weren't stuck here babysitting your scaled ass right now, I could be at the station actually doing something prod-" Three knocks were heard at the door before it opened. "You don't need to be upset, these people know what they're doing."

 

The officer walked away from the bed, and Pythor stared at him with his jaw hanging open at the instant switch in words when the doctor came in.

 

"Hello, Mr. Acryla. I am Dr. Edwin Heath. I'm here to explain some things, talk them over with you, and answer any questions you may have. Is there anywhere you'd like to start?"

 

"Can… can he leave? I… I don't feel comfortable around him."

 

"I'm sorry, but the city police department has required an officer to be present whenever hospital staff are in the room with you."

 

Pythor felt himself trying to curl up as he glanced up at the police officer before he looked away. The doctor had his back to the officer, so he was more than free to wear a smug look on his face without any suspicion.

 

"If you don't feel comfortable discussing this in the same room as him, perhaps he could stand outside the room? Is that acceptable, officer?"

 

"Fine, the door stays open though."

 

The officer walked out of the room and left the door cracked open slightly. As soon as he was gone, Pythor relaxed back into the bed and released a sigh.

 

"Where would you like to start?"

 

"Where the hell is my right arm? What happened to it?"

 

"Unfortunately, we weren't able to save your arm and reattach it. It had been severed along your brachial artery and you were losing a lot of blood very quickly. We needed to clamp the blood vessels so that we could stop it."

 

"So… I-I'm stuck like this? How am I supposed to live now? I'm right-handed! Why are you even doing this?! Why bother saving my life if I'm just going to die in prison anyways?"

 

He pulled up a chair and sat in it as he looked Pythor directly in the eyes.

 

"Because that is our job. We cannot speak for how you will be treated outside of this hospital, but inside these walls, you are our patient, and it is our duty to treat our patients with respect and dignity. It doesn't matter who they are, the oath that we all take is to put the physical and emotional well-being of our patients first and to do no harm."

 

"I don't deserve your kindness."

 

"Others might think that, but we don't. Every life is worth saving to us."

 

Pythor sighed and looked at the stump on his right arm. "How am I supposed to do stuff without my dominant hand? That was the hand that I used to write and draw with, to play music, to eat. I… I just… I can't believe it's gone. I keep thinking it's there."

 

"It's normal for people who have lost a limb or limbs to experience what is known as "phantom limb syndrome", especially if it or they were lost in a traumatic event, such as what you experienced. Sometimes it can be painful as well."

 

"This doesn't feel right. It doesn't feel right."

 

He couldn't take his eyes off of it. It was still red, and he wanted to grab something with it. He wanted to believe it was still there. It was his goddamn arm!

 

"Pythor, can you hear me?"

 

He blinked and picked his head up. His chest was heaving and beginning to itch. Before he could stop it, he began to cough forcefully, enough so that his back lifted off the bed slightly. He tried to cover his mouth, but his wrist pressed firmly against the handcuffs holding him to the bed, and it began to ache.

 

"Dammit…"

 

"It's alright. We're going to take good care of you. You asked how you were supposed to do things without your dominant hand, correct?"

 

He nodded and looked back at the doctor as his breathing slowly recovered.

 

"Well, in a week or so you will begin visiting the physical therapy wing and start working with the physiotherapists there, who will guide you through some simple exercises to help maintain blood flow to your arm and to prevent blood clots from forming."

 

"'A week'? What am I going to be doing until then? Just stay in this bed?"

 

"Yes. Your arm is still healing right now, and we want to make sure you remain stable before we get you up and moving. You needed to receive at least two blood transfusions due to how much blood you lost, and we don't want to risk you losing any more."

 

"Guess that's why I have tubes stuck in my crotch."

 

"If your wounds heal properly and enough to allow you to carefully get out of bed, you may be able to have them removed in four or five days. Three is the best case scenario."

 

"I still can't accept that this is my life now. Assuming I even stay alive that is."

 

"Do you have any other questions or things you'd like to know?"

 

"My right arm, shoulder, and my face hurt so much. The pain feels so sharp and it hurts to move them. I wish I could use my telekinesis."

 

"Well, that is to be expected with the fractures you received in those areas. Your nose is broken and required a splint to be put in, and your left eye socket was badly fractured. You will need to go under general anesthesia again in about four days for it and your jaw to be treated."

 

"Brass knuckles tend to do that. Is there anything you can do for the pain?"

 

"Yes, there is. Right there next to that red call button is a blue one. Pressing that blue button will release some strong painkillers and anti-inflammatory medication into you through your IV."

 

"Thank you."

 

"Do you have any other questions?"

 

"No. I'd actually prefer to be alone now."

 

"Okay, if you need anything else, push the red call button. The television in here is hooked up to a voice command system."

 

The doctor left the room, and Pythor pressed the blue button to relieve the pain. He took another look at his amputated arm and laid back as he sighed.

 

"I'm not crying. I won't cry. I won't…."

 

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[The next day]

 

Pythor heard knocks on the door and a nurse came in along with a police officer.

 

"Good morning, Pythor. How are you feeling? Did you sleep well?"

 

"Not really. I had a nightmare. I've been awake for three hours. Is that you Captain Wernas?"

 

"Yeah, I've been assigned to you today."

 

Pythor smiled slightly and relaxed as the nurse checked him over and inspected his wounds for any signs of infection before leaving.

 

“How are you feeling, captain?”

 

“Better now, thanks to you. My hip was dislocated, but thankfully it didn't require surgery, and I'll just need physical therapy to treat it.”

 

"That's good to hear. Did the commissioner assign you to me?"

 

"Yes, he did. He heard that you had been admitted to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and wanted to see how you were doing. We had no idea it was this bad though."

 

"Tsk, 'we'll figure it out' huh?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"Did he assign yesterday's officer?"

 

"No, that was the decision of the chief from the department on 12th street."

 

"I don't want them to come back. I… I can tell he hates serpentine. He seems to have inherited his love of trophies from his father. He talked about stuffing and mounting me on his wall like a prized buck and turning me into accessories for his wife or whatever."

 

"He said what ? Are you serious?"

 

"Do I look like I'm kidding? He wants me dead. I think he wanted an excuse to shoot me, and only didn't because he'd have to explain why he feared for his life from a cuffed serpentine missing a fucking arm."

 

"I'll get Commissioner Bankers on this. I'm sorry you had to experience that."

 

"I wish I could see my family. I released my dad from the cursed realm, and I never even got to see him."

 

"Huh? You can see them."

 

"What? I was told I wasn't allowed visitors due to how dangerous I was."

 

"Not from the general public or friends, but you are allowed to receive visitors from family and legal counsel."

 

"Are you serious?"

 

"Yes, I am. I'll see if I can get a hold of your family, if you're okay with that."

 

His breath caught in his throat. Did he really want to see Arcturus again after all this time? Could he even face him? While he had been the subject of national attention as the mayor of Myonlac, Arcturus likely had no idea of the things he had done with the great devourer or Sköll.

 

"Yes."

 

As soon as he had said the words, he immediately wished he could take them back, but it was too late, the officer had already left. What was he going to do now?

 

After what felt like 4 hours, yet only one, there were more knocks at the door, and he heard Wernas's voice.

 

"Pythor? Your uncle Arcturus and aunt Maera are here."

 

The door clicked open, and he immediately turned his head to the floor. He heard them slithering closer, but the captain didn't step into the room. He heard a gasp, and looked up to see Maera standing there with her hands over her mouth, and Arcturus, who surprisingly was not a ghost, but full scales and blood.

 

"Hello mum… dad."

 

They just stood there, staring at him with their jaws hanging open, tears forming at the corners of their eyes.

 

"They… didn't tell us about any of this. You… your scales are white and… your arm… by the first master… Pythor… we're so sorry." Arcturus's soft green eyes drifted over Pythor's body, and Pythor tried to cover his missing arm with the bedsheets, but groaned when he put pressure on it.

 

"Are you alright?" Maera rushed over him and stood at the edge of the bed, almost reaching over to him.

 

"What do you think?" He groaned and lied back against the bed. "Ugh… no… I got hit in the shoulder by an arrow, got shot twice there with a gun, and Adrian Chen beat me to a bloody pulp with brass knuckles."

 

"This shouldn't have happened. We shouldn't have stood by and let you get banished. Things would be different if we hadn't." Arcturus sighed as he let his arms fall to his sides.

 

"Whatever happened to 'They'll kill you if you stay, and they'll hunt us if we go with you'?"

 

"We still should have done something! Stood our ground, ended their rule a lot sooner."

 

"Like everyone else who tried?"

 

"Dammit Pythor… it's been over 80 years since we've seen you. I never, ever stopped thinking about you. When I heard that you were subdued by the master of fire and locked inside a tomb, I was devastated. Every day inside the cursed realm, I hoped that you were still alive, and that you had somehow escaped and were living peacefully."

 

Pythor looked up at him and met eyes with him. He remembered that gentle look he now had so many times throughout his life. When he was so drained from the rigorous education his parents put him through, when he got kicked by a hippogriff after sneaking up on it by accident, and even when he was just a hatchling.

 

He flicked his tongue out and looked away from him.

 

"Don't look at me like that. I don't want your pity or your "love". This has nothing to do with you. Nothing in the slightest." He looked back and narrowed his eyes. "You have no idea what kinds of things I've done, so don't you dare try and take responsibility. You don't know me anymore."

 

He gasped, and Pythor felt his heart sink at the look that came over Arcturus's face, but he couldn't break. He couldn't show what was beneath his scales.

 

"Then why did you call us your parents when we came in?"

 

Everything crumbled, and he began to cry, his voice wavering. “I-I d-don't know. Maybe… maybe because I… I wanted things to be like they were before.” He quickly stopped the waterworks. "Whatever. It doesn't matter. As soon as I'm stable enough to be discharged, I'll be sent to the gallows."

 

"No, you won't." Maera said. "Remember how I said we wouldn't let your execution go through?"

 

"What about it?"

 

"We appealed your sentence."

 

"You tried that about 5 months ago. The high court tossed it right back down."

 

"Yes, the high court did. However, we made another appeal once we learned that you had been admitted to the hospital. I still don't know how it got through in just four days, but the supreme court has agreed to hear your case."

 

"The supreme court? Are you serious? I-I don't even have a case! Did… did you make an appeal before I was even admitted here?

 

"I made it as soon as I heard you were stable, but yes." She agreed as she came over and leaned down so that she was eye level. "I'm sorry to drop this in your lap during such an emotionally intense time, but the region was really eager to execute you. I had to make it as soon as possible."

 

"When are they hearing us? And how did they even agree to accept the appeal?

 

"December 11th. As for how they agreed to hear us, a couple of people from the ninja, uhhh… Nya and Wu I think, they reached out to us and filled us in on some things. The Cloud Kingdom was controlling your actions"

 

Pythor huffed and looked away. "Tsk, you don't know that."

 

"Pythor, please listen to her, I've been to the cloud kingdom. I know what they do there."

 

"Oh really? You're just fine with it? You're fine with what they do?"

 

"I am when they're missing the several scrolls containing the lives of my wife and family. And before you ask, no I wasn't able to find yours."

 

"Fenwick apparently had it under special protection. Imagination wasn't something they wanted to get out for me."

 

"Anyways Pythor, this is our best shot. If we can prove that you weren't in control of your actions, we can prove that it was wrong to imprison you."

 

"It's not that simple, mum. I was in control of my actions. I still chose to become a crime boss to give the serpentine a place to live, I still chose to release the great devourer from her prison, and to help Sköll become the golden master."

 

"You helped who become what ?" Arcturus asked and Pythor cringed.

 

"Hold on, we heard you said the people in the Cloud Kingdom were writing what you did."

 

"They were! Or at least… they sort of were. They said that they just added 'guiderails' or something. They also said Aihtiram was going to do what he did anyways, they just made 'edits' so to speak. I prefer to think the same applies to me."

 

"Well, I don't see what the difference is. Either way, they were still influencing your actions, and you weren't able to make them freely. If what I learned from Wu is correct, unlocking this elemental power allowed you to become free. I think we might have a shot at this." Arcturus said.

 

"We'll see."

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[December 11th]

 

"Ready, Pythor?"

 

"I guess."

 

"Alright, follow me."

 

Pythor followed the constrictai over the steps and then onto a ramp, almost falling over and making it rock slightly.

 

"Dammit, that's the second time today."

 

"It's alright, you're making good progress."

 

Pythor slithered off and leaned against the railing. "No I'm not, Grippe. I keep almost falling over because of this and this damn double vision. How am I going to slither around if this keeps happening?"

 

"You can get used to it. I know it seems hard, like it should be simple, but your body and your mind are still learning to adjust. There's more weight on the left side of your body now than the right, but given time, it will learn to compensate."

 

"What about a prosthetic arm?"

 

"I'm afraid you'd still need to learn to compensate even with one, since they usually don't have the same exact weight as a normal arm."

 

"Do I have to wear this sling? It's kind of uncomfortable." Pythor asked as he picked at the strap that was currently looped around his neck.

 

"Yes, it's for the best right now. Your collarbone is still healing, and it needs to remain as still as possible so the bone can heal properly. Is it rubbing against you too roughly?"

 

"No, it's not that. My scales aren't that sensitive to abrasion." He sighed and grabbed a water bottle with his tail and opened it with his left hand to drink from it. "It just feels weird, almost like it's off-center."

 

Grippe came over to look at his sling and checked the strap before he stepped back. "I'm sorry, but there's not much we can do about that at the moment. Your situation is unique in that you've lost most of the arm that would normally be placed in a sling to reduce movement. Until the custom sling is completed, that one will have to be used."

 

"'Unique'? That's the word you're using to describe this? Is there anything interesting about this?!"

 

Grippe didn't even flinch as Pythor glared at him.

 

"No, there isn't anything special or nice about what happened to you. It's unique in that it does not have an easy and readily available solution."

 

Pythor's eyes widened slightly and he quickly turned his head away as he hissed. "This never should have happened to me. I should have been faster, or attacked that fake anacondrai instead."

 

"Maybe so, but we don't know how things would have happened if you had. Try as we might, we can't change the past, we can only adapt to our circumstances and try to find a way to move forward."

 

"You don't get it! How could you understand?" Pythor yelled and turned around to slither around the room. "I can do spinjitzu, turn into a dragon, use magic and elemental powers, and I let this happen to me! Even if I had full control of my powers, I don't even think I could regrow my arm with them. For all this power I have, I can't do a damn thing about my arm!”

 

He went over to a counter in the room and put his head in his elbow as his shoulders shook. He hit the counter with his fist and felt tears streaming down his face as Grippe slithered over next to him.

 

"I do know how hard this is on you, or at least how hard it can be. I really do."

 

"How? You act like you've been doing this for years, like you know the field like the back of your hand."

 

"It's because I have been. You really want to know how?"

 

Pythor lifted his head up and nodded at him. Grippe nodded and led Pythor over to some cushioned pads that he slithered onto, while the former coiled up on a bosu ball and pushed his tail over to him. Pythor tensed up, but Grippe just smiled.

 

"You can go ahead and feel it."

 

He reached out and ran his hand along the scales on Grippe's tail, furrowing his eye ridges as he pressed harder, squeezing part of it before he let go and gasped.

 

"Y-your tail… i-it's.."

 

"It's not natural, yes."

 

"H-how? I've never met or known of a serpentine without legs who was missing their entire tail."

 

Grippe chuckled and pulled his tail back. "Well, there's a bit of a story to that."

 

"I wasn't one of the serpentine that got rounded up and locked in the tombs. I was able to escape to Metalonia by being hidden on some merchant ships operated by serpentine sympathizers, alongside several others. There we were given food, clothing, and housing. It wasn't what we had in Quetzalcoatl or Ouroboros, but it was something."

 

He nodded along. A fair number of serpentine had escaped imprisonment in the tombs thanks to humans who sympathized with them. It wasn't much compared to the hundreds of thousands that were locked in the tombs, but it was still nice.

 

"A lot of the serpentine there were very grateful to the humans and the lizard people there who gave them a second chance at living, myself included. We took up mining and blacksmithing and all sorts of jobs. One day however, there was a rockslide that I got caught in, and my entire tail got pinned beneath the rocks."

 

Pythor watched as he picked up part of his tail and ran his hand along it.

 

"All of the bones in my tail had been crushed and they couldn't be operated on. It wasn't long before my tail had to be cut off due to necrosis. Life after that was hard. For serpentine born without legs like us, our tails are our lives, we need them to push off the ground and move. To learn that I wouldn't be able to do that anymore was devastating. I wanted to give up, I even tried a few times."

 

"You tried to kill yourself?"

 

He looked up and nodded. "Yes, even after I got a prosthetic tail- not this one- because it was extremely exhausting trying to push myself forwards, and I couldn't feel anything with it. I had friends around who would help me however, and eventually this tail was made for me. I still can't feel much with this one, but it is full of nice parts that make it much easier to move. I can even consciously move it in varying ways."

 

"Ah, I see. I'm sorry for making you say all of that. I shouldn't have said what I did."

 

"It's alright. You're going through a hard time right now, and I'm happy to help any way I can."

 

Pythor leaned back against the wall and smiled. "Well, it certainly is easier and nicer being able to talk like this, instead of flat and professional, if you know what I mean."

 

"I do. That's what we try to do here, treat the person, not the condition."

 

He smiled more and carefully pushed himself off of the bed. "Well, I'm glad I've had people like you to help me out. Mind if we get back to work though? I can't imagine others would be happy if they saw us just chatting in here."

 

Grippe nodded and got up as well. "Yeah, you got a good point. Why don't we pick back up with balance?"

 

A short while later, Pythor slithered between a couple of raised bars and steadily moved across them and step platforms, doing so without holding onto the bars.

 

"You're doing great, Pythor. You're still leaning to the left some, but I believe you'll take care of that in no time."

 

A few knocks were made at the door and Arcturus slithered inside.

 

"Hey dad, where's mum? And how did the trial go?"

 

"She's at work right now. As for the trial, you want the good news or the bad news?"

 

"I'll give you two the room for a moment." Grippe said and slithered outside.

 

"Just give me the news."

 

"Well, you're being charged with evading arrest and assault."

 

"From inside a hospital? How can I be 'evading arrest' or assault someone when I can't even leave?"

 

"Remember how you told us that you were kidnapped by the scribes from the cloud kingdom, and how you transformed into a dragon to escape?" Pythor nodded. "Well, the police are saying you didn't do the right thing and turn yourself in upon your return, and you also fled from the hunters."

 

"I tore the ligaments in my shoulders and wings. If I transformed back into a serpentine I could have been even more injured! I had to heal."

 

"That's not how they're seeing it. They're also charging you with assault since you grabbed Lloyd while you were escaping, which, unfortunately, meets the technical definition of assault."

 

"What does all of this mean, dad? I'm already being charged with murder, domestic terrorism, and kidnapping. What do a couple of misdemeanors mean?

 

"About that, I do have good news. Great news actually. You've been cleared of all charges, aside from the misdemeanors."

 

Pythor's breath left him and he quickly pulled a chair over with his tail for support. "Wh-what? What do you mean? I-I… I let the devourer out… thousands of people died. That can't be brushed aside."

 

"We showed them the scrolls that the monks used on us before I stole them, and we were able to prove that the scribes influence the actions of others. The justices ruled 6-5 that it would be unconstitutional to imprison you and sentence you to death for actions that you did not commit of your own free will."

 

Pythor struggled for breath as Arcturus slithered over and wrapped his arms around Pythor, who reached up with his own shaking arm and laughed as the sun shone into the room.

 

"We did it son, we did it."

Chapter 8: Home Sweet Home

Summary:

Pythor is released from the hospital and is taken to sentencing before being released to his family. There he reunites with the rest of them, is given a home, and is paid a special visit by Wu and a couple of the dragons.

Edited 7/31/25 to add minor changes to serpentine culture.

[December 14th]

 

"All rise. Case 15.1.11271.9, Ninjago vs Pythor Acryla is now in session for sentencing."

 

Pythor straightened up as the judge William Toughbut took his seat and he sat back down. It was 8:30 in the morning, and Toughbut looked like he hadn't gotten a chance to drink his morning coffee. Why did it have to be him?

 

"In the response to the crimes of assault in the third degree and evading arrest, the court sentences the defendant to two years probation."

 

Pythor let out a deep breath. Probation he could live with.

 

"The terms of probation for the defendant  include, but are not limited to, the following: maintain stable employment and housing, not possessing any illegal drugs, weapons, or firearms; comply with all searches without probable cause, attend substance abuse counseling, and submit to and support gps monitoring for the period of probation. Additional requirements may be imposed by the probation officer at their own discretion."

 

He put his hand on his head and stared at the floor as he tried to remember every condition he had to follow. Okay, maybe this was going to be hard to live with after all.

 

"The defendant will also be required to report to a probation officer hearings as scheduled by a probation officer. Violation of any of these terms will result in an arrest and subsequent hearing to determine the status of probation. Are these terms understood and accepted?"

 

"Yes, your honor." Pythor said and sighed afterwards. Wasn't like he had much of a choice.

 

"Very well. The first probation hearing will take place at the Ninjago City Central Probation and Parole office on December 17th at 8:15 am. The court is now adjourned."

 

As soon as Pythor was outside, he felt a shiver run down his spine and looked back up at the courthouse.

 

"8:15 am?! How are we supposed to do that? Mum, it took you three hours to drive up here, didn't it?"

 

"At least that, yeah. And that's assuming good traffic."

 

"How are we going to do this if we have to wake up at 5 in the morning?"

 

"Don't worry, Pythor, we'll figure it out." Arcturus smiled and put a hand on Pythor's right shoulder, but pulled it back when he flinched. "Shit, sorry. What should we do now, Maera?"

 

"Do you want to go home and see Canicula, Newt, and the kids?" She asked.

 

"Yeah, I'd actually like that. I know Cani came and visited me in the hospital and all, but I really miss Newt. I haven't seen him in over 75 years. I haven't met Cani's husband either."

 

"Alright, let's head back then."

 

Pythor and Arcturus started following her towards the parking garage, before the former opened his eyes and suddenly stopped.

 

"Wait, are you sure I can even go back to Arasi no tsuno? I was told I was supposed to be put on trial there. Skales wants me dead!"

 

Arcturus simply smiled and waved him over. "Don't worry, Pythor, I took care of things. I talked with him about it for a long time, but he's going to allow you to live there, so long as you obey the laws. The only reason he is, is because we were such good friends before the war and because you stopped Adrian by releasing me and the others from the cursed realm."

 

Maera looked over at Arcturus for a moment as they started to get into the car. "What about what he said if Pythor-"

 

"Don't worry, that won't be a problem."

 

"What won't be a problem, dad?"

 

"It's just some technical stuff that I had to take care of so that you could live with us. I had to fill out a lot of stuff, and that reminds me, I think we need to get you a passport."

 

Pythor looked at him for a few seconds before he slithered into the backseat and buckled himself in. As Maera pulled out of the parking spot and started to leave the garage, he saw Arcturus gripping some papers so hard they were creasing. Their first time out together and they were already keeping secrets?

 

He shook his head. It wasn't worth ruining this good day by forcing Arcturus or Maera to cough up what they knew. He was released from prison, and he was finally going to meet his nephews and nieces in person. He couldn't wait to see them.

 

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"Alright, Pythor, we're here."

 

"Ugh… about time. I hope this isn't what it will be like every time we have to go to Ninjago City and back."

 

"Well, there were those two accidents on the way home. I couldn't look up the traffic conditions on my phone since I was driving."

 

"I still have no idea what you two are talking about. The world has changed so much in the last 45 years. I mean, some stuff is familiar, but everyone has these little phones they carry everywhere now. I also saw a flying car earlier, how does that work? And there are robots and something called the internet. Ugh, catching up is going to be such a pain."

 

"Don't worry, dear, I'll help you through it." Maera said and rested her hand on his shoulder as Pythor looked up to the porch of the house in front of them. The door opened up and an anacondrai slithered out onto the porch along with a venomari.

 

"Hey! Pythor!"

 

"Newt?! Holy shit! You've grown up so much!"

 

The anacondrai slithered down the front steps and took Pythor into his arms and squeezed him tight.

 

"Ow! Ow! Watch my shoulder man! It's broken!"

 

Newt pulled back and chuckled as he rubbed his head. "Sorry dude, I really missed you. It's been so long since we've seen each other."

 

"It's alright, and yeah, it's been, what? 75 years?"

 

"Just about, yeah. Come on, let's go inside, it's freezing out here."

 

Pythor glanced over at the venomari next to him and took note of her scales. “Ah, who might you be?”

 

“Hey, I'm Valery. I'm Newt's girlfriend.”

 

“Well, it's nice to meet you. Your scales look really beautiful.”

 

“Thanks, yours do as well.” She said as he took off his pant leg.

 

"This is a really nice house you got here Newt. It's nice and warm inside. How long have you been living here?" Arcturus asked as soon as he entered the building.

 

"A few years. Val here actually owns the house, she's just letting me stay here. I'm hoping to open a primary care office in Smooth Stone once I complete my medical training."

 

"What do you mean by medical training? Are you going to be a doctor?" Pythor asked as he went to get a drink of water.

 

"Yeah, I've been wanting to be one for quite some time. This field really means a lot to me, and I can't wait to be one."

 

He smiled at his brother's enthusiasm and went over to rest on a couch, with him and Arcturus doing the same. Newt couldn't stop smiling as he talked about it, and Pythor felt himself relaxing as he took another sip of water.

 

"I'm happy for you, man. Are you in medical school right now?"

 

"Oh no, no. Not yet. I haven't even finished my bachelor's degree in medical sciences."

 

"You're already going for a bachelor's degree? How long have you been in school? Serpentine have only been able to live freely on the surface for just over four years."

 

"I've been in school for about that long. I'm the first serpentine to graduate from college in Ninjago, and I already have an associate's degree in science of public health."

 

"Wait, you graduated from college without any kind of grade school education?"

 

"Yes, I really wanted to be a doctor, but there wasn't a serpentine college established right away once we were able to live freely out in the open. These things take time to establish after all. So… I went to a human college."

 

Arcturus flinched and looked over at him. "Oof, that couldn't have been easy."

 

"Believe me, it wasn't. I didn't have a pre-college experience to prepare me for what it was like. I had always hoped that I'd be able to live out in the open among humans, instead of in secret, so I spent days upon weeks studying books and materials on various subjects that we found or copied through magic, before we were able to visit libraries freely."

 

"You went into college being entirely self-taught?"

 

"Yeah, but, as smart as I am, I didn't get good grades right out of the gate. I actually got really bad grades starting off, and I failed several classes. I was called to meet with some educational advisor or official who strongly suggested that I drop out instead of failing more classes to avoid embarrassing myself."

 

"But you didn't." Pythor figured.

 

"No. Dad had already given us such a large amount of wealth when he sent us away to hide out here, and I had spent so much on studying. I refused to let it go to waste. I got my act together and changed how I was studying, met up with human friends I had made to study together, and I managed to pass the next semester. By the end of my time there, I had graduated cum laude with a 3.6 GPA just last summer."

 

“I've been helping him out as much as I could by gathering medical information and referring him to tutors.” Valory said.

 

"Damn, I wish I could have been there for it. Still though, I'm really proud of you." He said, and turned to Arcturus. "You gave them money, dad?"

 

"Well, technically it was gold and jewels, but yeah. I wasn't going to let the humans steal it, so I had most of it be put in an underground vault and gave some to Maera for use in emergencies."

 

"Thankfully we didn't need to, so we were able to put it towards things like housing, cars, and Canicula and Newt's education." Maera said as she came in and took a seat.

 

"Well, I'm glad to hear you all have been doing alright out here, but were you really staying at our cabin for all this time?"

 

"Yeah, we were. It wasn't easy hiding out there though, especially since Canicula and Jule had two kids at the start. Thankfully, we met a couple of human families who were close by and agreed to keep our secret." She said and looked at the floor with a smile. "Those people were lifesavers, giving Newt and the kids others to play with."

 

"Maybe I can meet them sometime?"

 

"Perhaps." Newt agreed. "So, you've decided that you want to live here?"

 

He nodded. "Yeah, mum told me that Cani's house was getting crowded with her three kids and that's why she moved here to Smooth Stone. I'm hoping it won't be any trouble, Valory, since you already have someone else living with you.”

 

“Nah, it won't be any trouble at all.”

 

Newt smiled and hopped up. "Excellent, I was hoping you'd say that. Pythor, how would you like to live in a treehouse?"

 

His eyes lit up and he leaned forward as he grinned. "Oh I would love that! Do you actually have one here?!”

 

Newt slithered over to a back door and grinned himself as he opened the curtains. "Get a load of this."

 

Pythor dashed over to the door in the blink of an eye and felt his jaw drop as he stared up at a treehouse sitting just behind the main one.

 

"Want to go check it out?"

 

He nodded and practically flashed over in less than a second as soon as the door was open.

 

The ramp leading up to the treehouse was at the end of a stone path, and had two glowing electric lanterns at the base of it. The ramp itself was a vibrant reddish-brown wood that matched the walls of the treehouse itself.

 

Pythor ignored the lighthearted jabs at his actions, he didn't care what others thought of him at this moment, all he cared about was getting inside.

 

"The door is unlocked, Pythor." Newt chucked, and laughed when Pythor actually tried the door.

 

"Oh."

 

"Come on in." He said and led his older brother inside.

 

"Oh wow… It feels so big in here! This place looks amazing!"

 

"Yeah, Skalidor has a great eye for managing space, and Asphix loves interior decorating."

 

"Skalidor made this?" Arcturus asked as he came in. "I didn't know he liked making treehouses."

 

"It's something that he's really gotten into recently. I had this built last year, and his company did a really great job on it. There's a small kitchenette you can use over here to make yourself dinner." Valory said.

 

Pythor followed him over and checked out the small fridge and freezer. There was also a stove and oven with a microwave over top of it.

 

"This place is really nice. How do you get water in here?"

 

"Well, there's a rainwater catchment tank outside attached to the roof. That water is then filtered and used for the shower and sink. The toilet in here is a composting one however." Newt said

 

"That's alright, I'm fine with that."

 

Newt nodded and showed him a small room that was being used as a library and an office, and then the loft that Pythor could sleep in. Shortly afterwards, they took a seat in the main living area.

 

"So, what do you think, Pythor?"

 

"It's really amazing. Is this really all for me?"

 

"Yeah, it is. Me, mom, and dad talked this out, and we remembered how much you loved being in the forest when we were younger, so we told Val and she agreed that you could stay in this place for the time being, and we'll stay in the main house."

 

"Thank you, I really, really appreciate this. I'm going to love staying here."

 

Arcturus and Maera left him shortly thereafter while he continued talking with Newt and Valory, the former of whom gasped and dashed out of the house mid-sentence and came right back in holding a letter and something big in gift wrap.

 

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot! Skalidor dropped these off earlier today and asked me to give them to you."

 

"What are they?"

 

"I don't know, I don't have X-ray vision. Want me to open it?" He asked as he carried it over to the kitchen counter.

 

Pythor frowned and got up. "No, I can do it."

 

He picked up the scissors that were put on the counter and tried to cut open the letter, but it kept sliding every time he did. Newt stood there fiddling with his thumbs for a few seconds before he reached forward.

 

"Umm… I can hold-"

 

"Newt, I said I can do it." He hissed and pressed his tail to the counter to hold the paper. Once he cut into the envelope and fully opened it, he looked over at Newt. "See?"

 

Newt simply said nothing, and Pythor emptied out the envelope. A folded piece of paper and a smaller envelope fell out as well. He opened the paper first and started to read it.

 

"Hello, Pythor.

 

I'm not sure if you remember me, but last month you saved my life after I was attacked by a cougar. I truly can't thank you enough for what you did. I know this is a bit early for Winterveil, but I couldn't wait to give these gifts to you. I couldn't hand-write this like I wanted to, but I wouldn't let myself be stopped from making this drawing. I hope you like it and the gift card.

 

If you are able to and interested, I would like to meet you in-person so I can personally thank you for what you did. My phone number is attached to this letter.

 

With my utmost sincerity, Salome Nuwa."

 

"It's from that woman I saved, Salome. She sent me a drawing and a gift card."

 

"Salome Nuwa?"

 

"You know her?"

 

"Yeah, she does check-ups on our horses and takes care of them. She's a veterinarian."

 

"That drawing must be huge then. It feels like it's in a frame."

 

Pythor opened up the gift card and cried out when he saw the number over it. "TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS?! Did she miss a zero?!"

 

"Hold on, what?" Newt asked and set the frame down before he dashed over, with Valory following him. "No, the receipt says $200.00."

 

"Why would she give me this much? This is a lot to give someone, and I don't even know her."

 

"I don't know, bro."

 

Pythor looked at the gift card again and set it down on the counter before slithering over to pick up the present. He bit into the gift wrap with his teeth and shook it off, and gasped at what he saw.

 

The drawing was of a griffon on a cliff overlooking a forest of trees, all of them a mixture of red, yellow, and orange, and the colors of the sky matched those of the forest below. In the sky, there were three dragons soaring through the sky, and looked to be a family.

 

"Holy shit… she is so good. I can't wait to meet her."

 

“Me too, I've never seen such a beautiful drawing.” Valory added.

 

"Well, whenever you two want, I can take you there. I'm not going to be busy with any classes until January 5th."

 

"Thanks Newt, I'll take you up on that if I can arrange a meeting."

 

"I'm sure you will."

 

Pythor smiled and started to head back to the house when he grunted and fell to the ground.

 

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Several minutes later, Pythor's vision was filled with several faces standing over or near him, and he groaned as he rubbed his head.

 

"Why is… what.. what's happening?"

 

"Can you please give us some space?" Newt asked and waved his parents and Quetzalcoatl back. "Pythor, do you know what today is?"

 

"No… I… don't think so." He said, and winced as his head pounded. "Uuugh…"

 

"Oh no…" Maera gasped and put her hand over her mouth.

 

"Hold on, mom, confusion and disorientation are very common after a seizure."

 

"We… went to the… courthouse… today right? Ugh… my head is pounding."

 

"Do you feel like you can move, Pythor?"

 

"Nnnngggh… I feel like a bowl of jello… so heavy." He said and tried to push himself up, but fell onto the floor when his arm gave out.

 

"Here, let me help you up." Newt said and took Pythor's hand, helping him get his tail under him. "Now hold on, you might still feel dizzy or fatigued so-"

 

Pythor fell against the wall and started to lean backwards, but Arcturus dashed over and caught him.

 

"Don't do anything too quickly." Newt finished.

 

“Come on, let's get you over to the couch. Lean on me.” Arcturus said and guided him over.

 

Pythor slithered along the wall with him until he reached the couch and fell down onto it. "I can't believe this happened again. It's been weeks since this last happened."

 

"You've had seizures before?" Arcturus asked as he came over and sat in another chair.

 

"Yeah, I had a lot of them in prison." He said and held his head. "Fuck, still feels like the room is spinning. Mum, remember when I almost died of kidney failure in prison?"

 

"Yeah, you were taken to the hospital with a lot of internal bleeding, vomiting, and diarrhea."

 

"Well, something got messed up in me, and I think that's what caused it."

 

"We should still go to the doctor." Arcturus said.

 

"I don't think he needs to go tonight. His seizure lasted only about three minutes, and apart from the fatigue in his muscles and his possible headache, he seems to be recovering."

 

"Are you sure about that?"

 

"Reasonably so, yes. I definitely think you need to see a doctor soon though, Pythor. Especially since you've had multiple seizures I assume."

 

"I think I know what causes them. I usually have them if I don't get enough sleep, drink enough water or too much, and don't eat right."

 

"Still, there might be triggers you don't know about, and you should probably try and see if you can be placed on any medication to reduce the symptoms." Arcturus said.

 

"I guess. At least now I won't have to worry about the prison skimping on my doses. Can someone please get me some painkillers? I have a really bad headache."

 

"Sure, I'll go get some." Maera said.

 

"Thanks mum." Pythor said and covered his eyes from the light, which was turned off a moment later. "I'm gonna need to take a nap."

 

"I hope you won't ruin your sleep for tonight." Newt said.

 

"Me too. Can you wake me up in a couple hours?"

 

"Sure thing."

 

"Thanks bro, and thanks for helping me out earlier." He said, and smiled when Maera came back in with some medicine and a cup of water.

 

Pythor took the medicine once he felt safe doing so and carefully slithered up the spiral staircase to crawl under the bedsheets, falling asleep in under a minute.

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

 

[A few hours later]

 

The doorbell rang on the main house and Pythor started to get up before Arcturus did and said he'd get it.

 

"Hi, dad."

 

He turned around and smiled when he heard who was coming in and jumped out of his seat. "Cani!"

 

"Hey little bro." She chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her. "Hey, hey! Careful! I gotta set this stuff down."

 

He pulled back and laughed. "Sorry about that. Can I help you?"

 

She paused for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, sure, can you take these bags and set them somewhere? Careful, they're a little heavy."

 

He nodded and grabbed them, allowing her to carry a couple boxes with both hands. Arcturus offered to take the bags when Pythor's arm dropped slightly, but he kept slithering.

 

"Dad, it's fine. It's not that far."

 

"Mom, who's that white serpentine missing an arm?"

 

Pythor flinched and almost dropped the bags before he set them on the table. Canicula turned around and glared at them. "Chiharu! Don't say things like that! It's not appropriate."

 

"But mom! Why doesn't he look like us?"

 

He tensed up even more and turned invisible as Canicula slithered over to the small anacondrai while hissing.

 

"You and I are going to have a talk, mister."

 

Another anacondrai put a hand on her shoulder. "I can take care of this, Cani. You can catch up with Pythor."

 

"Thanks, Jule."

 

Jule grabbed Chiharu's hand and led him off. Once they were out of sight, she turned around and sighed.

 

"I'm terribly sorry about that, Pythor. This is not how I wanted our reunion to go."

 

He dropped his invisibility and released a sigh himself as he looked at the ground. "It's alright, I have only myself to thank for how I look now."

 

"Don't say that, what happened at the Echo Canyons wasn't your fault."

 

"Maybe not… but I still released the great devourer. She… she ate me. You have no idea how terrifying that was. How could I have been so blind?! She was possessed by darkness and I let her out! Wu was right… I really had no idea what I was messing with."

 

"It's alright-" She said and put her hand on his shoulder before he tore away from her.

 

"How can you say it's alright?! Huh? How can any of you even look at me? How can you still call me your family after everything I've done? I don't deserve this. I don't deserve any of this!"

 

He pushed himself past her and slammed the sliding door behind him as he slithered over to the treehouse and locked the door. Pythor went up the spiral staircase to the loft and laid face down in the bed.

 

"What was I thinking, coming back here? As if I could ever go back to normal life after all the things I've done. Maybe I should have gone with Gōitsu."

 

Several minutes later he heard the door unlock and groaned into his pillow before he lifted his head up.

 

"Who is it and what do you want?"

 

Canicula's voice came from downstairs. "It's me, Cani, and I just want to talk."

 

"I don't feel like it." He said and buried his face in the pillows again.

 

He huffed as he heard her coming up the steps and felt the bed shifting as she rested on it.

 

"Pythor, mom and dad told me what you did. The great devourer, Sköll, extortion. I want you to know that what you did wasn't your fault."

 

"Don't give me that bullshit, it was and you know it."

 

"It really wasn't. The scribes were writing what you'd do, those weren't your choices."

 

"Yes they were!" He yelled as he picked his head up and looked at her. "Haven't you been listening to me?! I told you that those choices were still my own. It wasn't like I was hypnotized and forced to commit them against my will. I know that I chose to commit them."

 

Canicula looked over at him and gently put a hand on his. Pythor fought back the tears that were trying to force their way out of him and let out a deep breath.

 

"You know how I know this? Fenwick, the head scribe, told me that… that… that Aihtiram was always going to kill… kill my sweet Xiuh and my lovely children. That wasn't something they decided on a whim, he was always going to do that. They just added some details."

 

He picked up his hand and looked at it before he wiped his face as he felt his shoulders shaking.

 

"If something like that could happen, why is it so hard to believe that I could be capable of committing actions just as heinous? Where is the justice for all the people I killed or sent into homelessness when I released the great devourer? How does saying that it wasn't my fault help them ?"

 

"It doesn't."

 

His eyes widened as he looked at Canicula's firm expression.

 

"What?"

 

"It doesn't help them. In my opinion, no amount of apologies or blaming others will fix things. The hurt you've caused won't go away."

 

"I thought you were coming up here to help me feel better."

 

"I am, but I need to be real with you. I believe that actions speak louder than words. Saying sorry isn't enough. You can help people by doing good things in the world now."

 

"Like doing what the ninja do?"

 

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily say that, I mean, you can, but, you still need to heal. Look, what I'm trying to say is, be a good person. You don't need to prove anything to anyone, but you can still show that you've changed by doing good things. Like, holding a door for someone, helping plant a garden in a park, volunteering, stuff like that."

 

“You really think so?”

 

“Yeah. I think the more you try to say how much you've changed, the more people will think you're trying to make excuses. We can't change the past, but we can change who we are, and you're already well on your way to doing that for the better.”

 

He sat up straight and smiled at her before he pulled her into a hug. "You really still think of me as your family?" She patted his back. "Of course. You're still my baby brother."

 

"You know Newt is 60 years younger than me."

 

"Doesn't matter, I'm still older than you."

 

He chuckled and pulled back.

 

"If you haven't started yet, can I help you with cooking dinner?"

 

"Sure. I don't mind. I just hope you haven't gotten rusty." He laughed this time. "Oh don't worry, I still think I got it."

 

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

 

"So, what do you do Jule?"

 

"I work with the Quetzalcoatl and Ouroboros railroad, or the QNO railroad for short."

 

Pythor stopped dicing peppers with his tail and looked at Jule with a huge smile on his face.

 

"You work for the railroad? That's awesome! How long have you been there?"

 

"That's right. I've been there ever since the serpentine were allowed to live on the surface."

 

"That is so cool. I really love trains. I can't get enough of them."

 

"Yeah, I can tell. How old are you again?" Jule was wearing a huge smirk on his face, and Pythor couldn't help but snort as he passed him the peppers.

 

"309."

 

"Wow, I thought you were around 180."

 

"Nah, my family lives for a crazy long time. My great-great grandmother is almost 3,000 years old."

 

"Conja right?"

 

"You know her?"

 

"I've met her once, she's a really nice lady."

 

"Yeah, I hope I get to see her more now." He sighed and looked down for a moment. "She always told such amazing stories. It's really amazing how different the world was back in her time.

 

"It sure was. Cani has told me stories she heard, and I want to learn more myself. It might be a bit hard though, she's living in a retirement home in Metalonia with Summin and their kids."

 

"Oh, how come?"

 

"I can't remember why right now. Oh, could you please set the table? I can handle the dinner."

 

"Sure thing."

 

Arcturus got up and slithered into the kitchen, almost making Pythor bump into him. "Here, let me help."

 

"Dad, I got this."

 

"I just don't want you to drop-"

 

"I'm not going to drop anything. Can you please move?"

 

Arcturus sighed and got out of the way as Pythor used his magic to levitate the dishes over to the table.

 

"I know I may be a little rusty with my magic right now, but telekinesis was always something I made sure to know."

 

Just as Pythor had finished setting the table, the doorbell rang, and he looked around.

 

"Ummm… were we expecting anyone else?"

 

"Not that I know of." Newt said.

 

"Actually, I think it's someone for me." Canicula said as she got up and looked out the window. "Yeah, it is."

 

She opened the door, and Pythor gasped when he saw a man in a white kimono and a straw hat on the porch, with two humanoid dragons standing behind him.

 

"Wu!"

 

Before he knew what he was doing, he bowed to the spinjitzu master, who simply laughed.

 

"Oh, you don't need to do that. I didn't expect to see you here though. How are you doing?"

 

"Better now." He said and smiled at Canicula before he turned back to Wu and reached out with his right arm to shake his hand. He silently cursed under his breath and switched to his left hand. "Still can't seem to stop doing that though. Who might you two be?”

 

“Hey, Pythor, it's me, Wisp. This here is Crest.”

 

A heavy breath left Pythor's mouth and he slithered over to hug them both. Wisp set down an object he had been holding and wrapped his arms around him. Pythor pulled his head back and took him into a kiss, holding it for a few seconds.

 

“We're sorry we couldn't come earlier. We weren't allowed to see you in the hospital because some of us were in jail. It's so great to see you again. We… heard you were badly hurt during the battle, but… we didn’t know about…”

Pythor reflexively covered up his missing arm and looked at the porch some. “I’m… managing.” As soon as he said that though, he perked up almost instantly and smiled. “I missed you two so much though. It's been so long since I've seen you. Wait, what's this about jail?”

 

“Terra, Wisp, and I were arrested for harboring a terrorist fugitive and assault. It's been pretty big news. I'm surprised you didn't hear about it.” Crest said.

 

“I haven't been paying attention to the news lately. Been busy dealing with the justice systems and getting settled. Why don't you come on in? We're about to have lunch.”

 

“Oh, that would be nice. We're pretty hungry.” Wisp said.

 

“So, what are you three here for? Did you come all this way just to see me?”

 

“Yes, but we are also in town to pick up a cake.” Wu said.

 

"A cake? What for?"

 

"Tomorrow is Lloyd's birthday."

 

Pythor's eyes widened as he looked back at Wu and he put his hand on his head. "It is? Oh shi-" Canicula cleared her throat beside him. "Ship. I forgot to ship him a gift… and make him one. A card, make him a card."

 

"It's alright, you've been through a lot recently. He knows that too. I'm sure he won't hold it against you if you don't get him something."

 

"Still…" Pythor sighed as he looked around, his mind racing to try and figure out what he could do for Lloyd in such a short time. He shook his head. He'd figure it out later.

 

“I must say, it sure smells nice in here." Crest said.

 

"Feel free to take a seat." Pythor asked and looked around. "Is that alright?"

 

He got a mix of shrugs and agreements, and looked at Arcturus, who was getting comfortable at the table.

 

"Dad?"

 

"Huh?"

 

"Are you alright with Wu coming in for dinner? I mean… I know you and him were…"

 

He dismissed the comment with a flick of his hand. "I don't care. I want to put the war behind us. It was stupid enough that it happened in the first place. I don't want any more animosity."

 

Pythor held the door open for Wu until he came in and put his hat and coat on a rack next to the door. Canicula put the cake back in the fridge and joined them at the table.

 

"I'm glad we were able to meet again under more peaceful times such as this General Arcturus."

 

"You can just call me Arcturus. I am inclined to agree though. This is certainly nicer than on a battlefield."

 

"Indeed it is. This pasta tastes very good. Might I ask who made it?"

 

"That would be me." Jule said as he raised his hand. "I do want to give credit to Pythor though, he was a big help with it."

 

Pythor smiled and looked away. "Please, I just stirred some things and cut stuff with my tail."

 

"Nope, I'm not having that." He said as he held his palm up in the air. "You helped speed things up and got dinner ready a lot sooner than it would have been had it been just me."

 

“Plus you helped me with making dessert.” Valory said, flashing him a smile.

 

"Thanks uncle Pythor!"

 

He chuckled and smiled at the young anacondrai coiled up next to Chiharu. "You're welcome, Aruno."

 

“It smells delicious.” Crest said. “I can't wait to have some.”

 

"Do you like to cook, Pythor?" Wu asked him.

 

"Sure do! I love doing it whenever I can, even moreso if it's for someone else. Someone… very special to me taught me how to do it."

 

"It's a good skill to have. Oh, speaking of which, I've actually been meaning to ask you something. Where did you get your elemental powers? I heard from Garmadon that you got them recently."

 

“I think from some hypnobrai witch or mage. In the cloud kingdom I heard people say how hard it was to keep that power from moving on to her children. I guess it didn't work though."

 

“O-Oh, I see.”

 

“Before that though, apparently it was your father's power. I suppose you might have an idea what exactly I can do with this then? I'd like to get it under control so I don't set the air on fire or something.”

 

"Well, it's a complex power that allows you to manipulate elements like the theory of alchemy. You need to understand the anatomical structure of things, otherwise it will rebound on you."

 

"Definitely had that happen a few times. By the way, I met your father recently. His dragon, Taiyō, too. I even got to pet Taiyō. They were both really nice and wise too."

 

Wu's jaw dropped as he stared at Pythor. "You met the first spinjitzu master?"

 

"Yeah. It was after… this happened to me." He said and gestured at his right arm. "Funnily enough, he said I'd forget we'd ever met if I chose to return here, but I still remember it crystal clear. Personally, I think it's because I loved his dragon. I wouldn't forget meeting one."

 

"I see. He's been gone for quite some time. It's nice to know that he's still taking care of people."

 

Pythor smiled and took some more bites of his food, deciding to let other people join in on the conversation.

 

"You're a ninja, right?" One of Canicula's children asked.

 

"Well, technically, but I am a sensei. I don't believe I've caught your name, young man."

 

"I'm Sakuzei!"

 

"Ah, well it's nice to meet you, Sakuzei. How old are you?"

 

"I'm 64."

 

"Oh wow, you're pretty old, aren't you?"

 

"Not really." Canicula chuckled. "I suppose to a human he'd be about 11 or 12. Aruno here is the same age as him."

 

"I think Uncle Pythor should be a ninja." Sakuzei said as he pointed at him.

 

"Huh?" Pythor asked.

 

“I think that's a great idea. I'd love to work with you.” Wisp said, giving Pythor a smile that warmed his heart.

 

"Uncle Pythor has powers! And magic!"

 

"Oh yeah, and you know spinjitzu. By the way, where did you learn that?" Wu asked.

 

"Mainly by copying you and the ninja. I was keeping tabs on you between when the great devourer was destroyed and when Sköll was in Borg Tower." He said between bites. "Sheesh, can't believe I said that as if it was normal."

 

"I see. Well, your spinjitzu has interesting colors."

 

"I don't think it would be a good idea for your uncle to be part of the ninja, Sakuzei. He just got out of the doctor's." Arcturus said.

 

"Yeah, my dad's right. I got a lot of doctors and physical therapy appointments coming up, plus I'm going to have to meet with a probation officer in a few days.”

 

"A probation officer? What for? I thought you were exonerated of all your crimes, it's all over the news."

 

"So did I, but I was charged with trespassing, assault, and fleeing from police. They're going after me for hiding out on Sensei Garmadon's monastery and assaulting Lloyd."

 

"Lloyd never said you assaulted him there. He said he attacked you and that you defended yourself."

 

"They don't care. Now I’m going to have to deal with a GPS monitor on me and basically be confined to this property. If what I’ve learned about them is right, they’re expensive and really restrict your freedom. It’s going to be tough." He sighed. “ Anyways, I don't think I'd be a good fit for the ninja. I'm not exactly liked by them."

 

"Well, that can change. Also, if it's any consolation, I think you'd be a good fit."

 

"Thanks. I just hope I can do some more good in the world now. By the way Wisp, Crest, how's Terra doing? I hope jail wasn't too hard on her.”

 

“Well, it was since she was pr-” Crest said, glaring at Wisp after a thump was made under the table.

 

“She's doing alright now. It was just hard being a dragon in a prison in a place where they aren’t looked at positively.” Wisp said. “We brought you some presents. Normally I'd wait for the solstice to give them to you, but I get the feeling you're really going to enjoy this.”

 

Pythor smiled as Wisp set some bags on the couch and let him open them up. His smile turned into a grin when Wisp set out some gift cards for bookstores, some cute knick-knacks, and a bunch of snacks.

 

“And now, the best for last.” He said and put the huge object wrapped in cloth on the table. He unwrapped it and Pythor gasped, as did Valory and the rest of his family.

 

“It's the meteorite from Garmadon's monastery.” Pythor said and reached out to touch it. The space rock felt so rough in a lot of places, and yet smooth in others. He stepped back so his niece and nephews could touch it.

 

“We figured that since it almost hit us and it basically fell on your birthday, that you should have it.” Crest said.

 

“Thank you, I really appreciate this, and all the other gifts you brought me as well. But, I still like the birthday present you and the others gave me more in that cave~.”

 

“Pythor, I don't think it's appropriate to favor gifts.” Maera said.

 

“No, it's okay, it's an inside joke.” Wisp said, twiddling his thumbs as he looked down at the floor.

 

“You're welcome, Pythor. We're glad that we were able to see you.” Crest said.

 

“Are you heading out?”

 

“Yes, we are. We still have to make the trip back to Ninjago.” Wu said as he got up and started to gather his things.

 

“Well, it was nice seeing you three as well. Take care of yourselves, okay?”

 

“Of course. We hope to see you again.”

 

Wu nodded goodbye as he picked up the cake, and Pythor went over to hold the door open. They waved goodbye again, and he went inside to feel the meteorite again. He had just glanced outside, and noticed that Wisp and Crest looked like they were arguing.

 

“Did something happen to Terra?”

Chapter 9: And an Unhappy New Year

Summary:

Pythor and his family attempt to adjust to his new "freedom" under probation while also getting used to seeing each other again, but with the stress of the restrictive terms and those of the holidays, things quickly reach a boiling point between him and his father.

Can't believe I forgot to post this here. I am so sorry to anyone who read the next chapter and got confused. I'll post that again tomorrow or Friday evening.

[12/17/15 - 3:00 am]

 

“I was hoping for the green ninja's dragon, but I think you'll be much better. ”

 

Pythor saw a flash of lightning, a fearsome black and green dragon right in front of his face. Suddenly, it felt like a gale was blowing into his lungs, and he gasped for breath, unable to draw one in.

 

He jolted awake, his eyes snapping open as he found himself on the floor. He looked up around the room and out the window. Outside, the wind roared, absolutely howling as a blizzard battered the sides of the treehouse.

 

Pythor climbed up on the bed and shivered. Something about that wind was unnatural…

 

His heart was still racing, and there was a chill in his chest, like something was dead, or rather, empty. What was that dream about? His mind flashed back to that dragon, and he almost immediately regretted it.

 

Those lime green eyes, those rows of sharp, grey teeth, that bloodthirsty grin…

 

He wasn't getting back to sleep again. He slithered downstairs and made a cup of hot chocolate, though it did little to soothe his nerves.

 

A few hours later, Arcturus came inside and found him sitting at the table, mindlessly eating a small breakfast. “You look like you've seen a ghost.”

 

“... I think I did.” He looked outside at the now dwindling snowfall. “I had this… dream of some dragon, saying that he thought my body would be nice. Only… it doesn't feel like he was talking to me.”

 

“Well, it was probably just that. You've been through a lot lately. Come on, we have to hurry up and get to the train station if we want to make it to the parole office on time.”

 

“Okay, I'm finishing up.” He said and got up.

 

Why was he feeling a buzz?

 

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[Several hours later]

 

"Hold out your left arm."

 

Pythor sighed and did as the probation officer instructed and let them attach the gps monitor to his arm.

 

"Damn that's heavy."

 

"It's not even a kilogram. Quit being such a baby."

 

"You talk this way to all of your visitors?"

 

The probation officer only sighed and walked back to behind the desk and sat down.

 

“The office would like to thank you for complying with the temporary shelter-in-place order until today.”

 

“Hard not to when there's a police officer sitting in front of our house day and night.” Pythor muttered. Arcturus immediately sent him a glare before the probation officer continued.

 

"Alright, you are not allowed to tamper with or modify the monitoring device in any way. You will be fully responsible for keeping the device charged at all times. Operation fees will be charged on a weekly basis and will be required to be paid on time. Do you have a place of residence?"

 

"Yes, he's going to be staying at my son's house for the time being. It's in Arasi no tsuno, is that alright?" Arcturus said.

 

"Hmmm… you've talked this over with Skales?"

 

"Yes, he said Pythor could live within serpentine borders, so long as he followed all laws."

 

"One moment." The probation officer turned to his computer and did stuff on it for a few seconds. "Yeah, that matches up with what I have here. Ninjago and Arasi no Tsuno will share custody over Pythor, and he will also be required to follow all laws and regulations set forward here."

 

"So, I'll be able to live in Arasi no tsuno?"

 

"Yes. There shouldn't be any problems, it's still technically human land." Pythor frowned at that and opened his mouth as if to speak, but Arcturus tugged on his tail with his own. "You will need to have a beacon - which is in this box here - in your house for monitoring your location as well. You must be within 150 meters of this at all times between 9 pm and 7 am."

 

"Is that all?"

 

"Yes. Just sign this paper here to agree to the terms and plan that we have discussed." He said and slid a paper and pen over, and gasped. "Oh, sorry, do you need a hand ?"

 

Arcturus hissed and grabbed the edge of the table. "What the fuck is your-"

 

"Dad, don't worry. I got this." He said and smiled as he turned back to the probation officer. "You think you're funny? Watch this."

 

Pythor levitated the pen and signed his name while holding the paper steady with his left hand.

 

"Alright, you aren't allowed to use magic."

 

"And pray tell, why not?"

 

They opened their mouth to speak, but no words came out save for the start of some disjointed ones. Pythor let a smirk grow on his face as the officer struggled to come up with a reason.

 

"Because the likelihood that you could use it to harm someone by throwing a knife at them is too great a risk to take."

 

"That the best you could come up with? You think I can't throw a knife with my free hand or my tail?"

 

"Pythor, stop-" Arcturus tried to say.

 

"What could I possibly do with magic that I can't already do with what I have now?" He leaned back in his chair. “Oh by the way, I'm still going to transform into a dragon if I want to travel that way. It really helps with reducing the wear and tear on vehicles. Don't worry, I give you my word that the monitor will be undamaged and still perform all its functions.”

 

The probation officer sighed deeply through his teeth, and Pythor smiled. “

"I assume that is all. We'll be on our way. See you at our next meeting."

 

The officer didn't say anything and Pythor levitated his jacket and put it on as he slithered out the door. Once they got outside the building, Arcturus grabbed his jacket and turned him to face him.

 

"Do you have a death wish, Pythor?!"

 

"What are you talking about?" He asked as he pushed his arm off of him and started slithering down the sidewalk.

 

"Don't play dumb with me. I'm talking about that shit in there! What possessed you to think it was a great idea to antagonize your probation officer? I told you that it was important to make a good first impression since you'll be seeing them twice every month for the next two years."

 

"I did! I tried to be civil! I introduced us, I was polite, and patient for the whole eighty minutes it took for them to see us! I saw the person behind the desk playing on their phone when it was time for us to go in."

 

"What about your snarky comments? What about you showing off your magic and slithering out? You don't think that was antagonistic?"

 

"And what about them making fun of my disability, huh?! You were about to give them hell for that too!" He yelled as he stopped and turned to face him. "When I asked why I couldn't use my magic, they didn't have a reason for it right away, like I caught them off-guard. They want to control me since they have no authority to execute me anymore."

 

Arcturus opened his mouth, but closed it and looked at the ground as they slithered towards the bus stop.

 

"Just accept it, dad, no one there wanted to see me. Those people in there hate us serpentine, they still see our land as theirs, even though they stole it from us in the first place."

 

"Just be careful."

 

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[12/31/15 - 11:30 am]

 

“Boom. Another visit down the drain.” Pythor said, practically dancing his way out of the building. “Brought my books, so the wait was meaningless, and it sure was great flying here. Eh, dad?”

 

“It did save us time, but I still don't think it's a great idea for you to be taunting your officer with your freedoms. You're playing with fire.

 

"Whatever." Pythor sighed and looked at his monitor, which thankfully came with a built-in watch. "Hey, can we get something to eat before we head back?"

 

“Yeah I was just thinking that too, and I think I know a good place. I've been texting a friend I made recently to see if her place is open yet. Technically it isn't, but she said we could come over and grab a bite to eat." He said, and they caught a bus to downtown Ninjago City.

 

"So what is this place?" Pythor asked once they got off.

 

"It's a noodle shop. I think you might like the stuff they have there. Their menu looks really nice."

 

BANG!

 

Pythor shrieked and jumped up so quickly his tail did a little wave and a few people in the street snickered. He looked for the source of the noise and saw that a parade being led by a drumline and marching band was coming down the street. "Why did they have to hold us so damn late? We even showed up early to try and avoid this stuff!"

 

“Just be glad we didn't drive here.” Arcturus took his hand and slithered faster down the street in an effort to outpace the parade. Pythor flinched more as the drummers kept playing, and tore himself out of Arcturus's hands when he saw their destination: Chen's Noodle Shop.

 

Pythor bolted into the building and pulled the door shut behind him and slid back against the wall as he tried to catch his breath.

 

"You alright, Pythor?" He looked up and saw an anacondrai stirring some noodles in a pot and tried to think of something to say when Arcturus came in. "Hey Arcturus, everything okay out there?"

 

"More or less."

 

"Less." Pythor gasped as he got up and hung his coat on a hook and sat at the counter with Arcturus, then noticed who else was sitting there as well.

 

"Wait… Ronin?"

 

"Hey! Long-time no-see, Pythor. How've you been?" The mercenary greeted with a wave, and he gave a small one back, flinching as another loud thump came from outside. "Fuck I hate drums. Ummm… could be better I guess, but I'm alive still, so there's that."

 

Ronin just chuckled and glanced out the window before looking back at him. "Glad to hear it. Don't like the parade huh?"

 

"No… not at all. I hate drums, fireworks, thunder, stuff like that. I didn't get much sleep last night because some assholes were shooting off fireworks when they weren't supposed to."

 

Arcturus held out his hand and shook it with him before he sat down. "I'm Arcturus Asclepia, nice to meet you."

 

"Same here. You were the old serpentine king right?"

 

"Yes, I was, back before and during the war. Now though… eh, I'm still trying to figure out what I'll do."

 

"Hey, there's plenty of work out there. Do what you love."

 

"Yeah. So, how do you two know each other?"

 

Pythor scratched his head as he tried to figure out how best to answer that, but Ronin beat him to it.

 

"Oh, Pythor's been a loyal customer of mine for the past three or four years, and he pays good money too."

 

"Yeah, you uhhh… probably won't be having me as a customer anymore. The judge and my probation officer said that I'm not allowed to possess any kind of firearms, swords, or blades longer than 15 cm anymore." Pythor said as Arcturus placed his order and then gave his. "So you're Skylor huh? It's nice to meet you."

 

He held out his hand and shook it, and an orange glow traveled from his arm and into hers.

 

"Oh, do you have elemental powers too?"

 

"Yeah, I have the element of imagination or alchemy I guess. I just got it though. Haven't had much of an opportunity to practice it though. Not sure if I will anytime soon either."

 

"Hey, maybe you're just a late bloomer. I mean, Nya is 18 and she just started being able to manipulate water." Ronin suggested.

 

"Hey, good for her. But, no, it was being kept from me." Pythor smiled and turned back to Skylor as she washed her hands. "I have to say though, it's really nice to meet another serpentine with elemental powers, at least one that was born with them. I don't think I've met any."

 

"Well, I wasn't born as an anacondrai. My father, Adrian Chen was obsessed with them, so he and his friend Clouse wanted to use the elemental powers to transform into them. Things didn't go as planned though, and I was used instead since I had taken every active elemental power into my body through my power of amber."

 

"I thought that spell would have worn off by now though? Adrian came for me because he needed my blood to make it permanent."

 

"Ooooh… yeah. That makes sense. I helped stabilize you at the echo canyons before you were taken to the hospital. I got some of your blood on me."

 

"Shit… sorry."

 

"You don't have to be, you were hurt. I'm getting used to my new body though, even though some people just see me as a serpentine now. But hey, having an extra limb to grab things with makes cooking even easier, just gotta make sure people don't trip over my tail."

 

“Yeah, that is a problem for people with our body types.” Pythor smiled as she set their food out and he leaned forward, flicking his tongue out to catch the scents of the food. "Ah, damn this smells so good. The scents of the meats, sauces, and spices, I can't wait to dig into this."

 

He got started and hummed at the taste as it filled his mouth, but frowned at how much kept falling into the bowl. "Ugh, it feels so awkward doing this with my left hand. The food sure tastes amazing though."

 

Skylor fidgeted with some cooking utensils at his comment before Ronin cleared his throat. "Hey, would you mind turning that up?"

 

Pythor looked up to see Ronin and Arcturus watching the tv, and decided to watch it with them. "Festive celebrations are going on all over Ninjago, but not just here in the city. Over on the east coast it's a close match in Mizunomori province to see who can party harder, the capital city of Myonlac, or the proud fishing port of Stiix. We go to Rue Moore in Stiix now for an update on the festivities."

 

"You know that sewer swamp?" Skylor asked as she took some dishes and started washing them. "Yeah, I used to call it home." Skylor cringed at her comment but Ronin shook his hand and smiled. "Eh it's okay, it was a sewer swamp back when I lived there more often."

 

Pythor went back to eating his food, but looked up when he heard screaming coming from the tv, and on it he saw Rue Moore running in front of her camera as green wisps flew throughout the air. "This just in, a legion of ghosts have decided to wreck the festival and take control of whatever they can and grab all the food in sight. Police are urging citizens to-" Rue froze up as a ghost flew into her, and her eyes shone with an eerie green light as a male voice came out of her. "Alright ninja, I know you're going to hear this so listen up! Stiix is under my control now, and we hold every citizen in it prisoner. If you set one foot inside the city limits this place goes up in flames and the people with it! Soon, this realm will be cursed, the rest shall follow!"

 

"Oh fuck… I know that voice. It's Morro." Arcturus gasped.

 

Pythor saw a dragon flying in the background with green eyes, green lightning shooting out of its mouth and setting dozens of buildings ablaze. “Wisp?! Nononono… not him… please not him! That was my dream!”

 

"And for you, Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon… I'll make sure you live just long enough to see me suck the air out of your friends as I become the green ninja right before your eyes. I am the true green ninja! Wu was wrong to choose you! HE! WAS! WRONG!"

 

"Lloyd…" Pythor gasped.

 

Skylor turned off the tv and leaned on the counter as Ronin got up and grabbed some giant shuriken of his. "I gotta go. How much do I owe you?" Skylor just shook her hand as she put her head in her hands. "It's on the house." Ronin nodded and put some bills on the table and headed out as Skylor sighed. "I hope Kai and the others are okay."

 

"I wish I could help. I wish I was there too." Pythor sighed and finished up his food before he noticed Arcturus looking at him. "What?"

 

"It's probably for the best that you aren't. Even if you were allowed to go, you saw what happened to that reporter, I don't want anything like that happening to you. Besides, I don't think there's anything you could do for them in your current condition."

 

"'Condition'?" He hissed. "Yeah, because I'm sooooo incapable of doing even the basic things in life. I'm not fragile, dad."

 

Arcturus stared at him for a second before looking at Skylor and taking a deep breath. "What's our total come out to?"

 

Skylor sighed herself and stood up fully. "Yours can be on the house too."

 

Arcturus shook his head and got up to get his wallet. "I'd rather pay for this Skylor, you've got a lot to take care of, and I want to help you get this place going under your own name, because this was a damn great lunch."

 

Skylor smiled and rang up the order before taking the cash he gave her and bade them farewell. Pythor put on his coat and slithered outside with Arcturus where the parade had long since passed, and found himself trying to avoid eye contact with him as they made our way to the train station.

 

"You really need to watch your attitude, Pythor, Skylor has a lot going on in her life and she doesn't need you causing a scene while she's worrying about her friends."

 

"All I said was that I wished I was in Stiix so that I could help people. How is that causing a scene?"

 

"Because your comments about your missing arm and your injuries were making her uncomfortable."

 

"Well excuse me for LOSING it! I didn't realize my mere presence could make people uncomfortable! You were the one who brought up my current condition and made the conversation about it in front of her after you stared at me! I just said that it was awkward doing stuff with my non-dominant hand!"

 

"I don't need the backtalk, Pythor! I'm just trying to look out for you!"

 

"I don't need you to look out for me!" Pythor yelled and stormed ahead towards the train station.

 

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[Two hours later]

 

"So how did-" Maera started to ask as soon as Pythor came in, and got promptly ignored as he went through the house and slammed the back door behind him.

 

He slithered into the treehouse and locked the door behind him and immediately laid face-down into the couch. Several minutes later, his cellphone dinged and he groaned as he tried to pull it out.

 

"Everything okay?" Newt had texted.

 

Pythor put the phone down and rolled onto his back, but he sighed and picked it back up a few minutes later.

 

"No."

 

"Want to talk?"

 

"I don't know.”

 

A few minutes later, Newt came inside while carrying a couple of steaming mugs. "Hey."

 

"Lock the door."

 

"That bad, huh?" Newt asked.

 

"Yeah. What's this?" Pythor asked as he sat up and took one of the mugs.

 

"Hot chocolate."

 

"Thanks." He said and took a sip as Newt sat down.

 

"Dad and mom are having an argument right now."

 

"You should have heard ours earlier. We had two."

 

"What about?"

 

He sighed and leaned back on the couch as he tried to collect his thoughts. "Dad seems to think I'm going to get myself into trouble or hurt. He doesn't like me asserting my independence or making a life for myself.”

 

"Hmmm… I can see where he's coming from."

 

Pythor sat up straight and looked at him with his jaw open. "You're agreeing with him? I told you about how that agent insulted my missing arm!"

 

He held a hand up and shook his head. "No, I'm not saying that. What that agent did was messed up. I'm saying that you need to be careful. It sounds like these people really have it out for you, and being too confrontational or smart and cocky might make them inclined to retaliate against you. This probation sentence is like that, isn't it?"

 

"Well, they… ugh, I guess so. I'm just really upset with dad right now. He's blaming me for causing a scene at Skylor's place and how my missing arm is making people uncomfortable."

 

"He really said that?"

 

"Kind of. Something is happening in Stiix right now and Lloyd is involved in it. I was worried about it and wished that I could be there to help him, but dad said it was for the best that I wasn't given my 'condition'. I wasn't actually going to try and go there, but he misunderstood me and said that I was back talking to him when I disagreed."

 

"Oh."

 

"I'm starting to wish that we didn't live in slithering distance.”

 

Newt's eyes widened and he leaned forward. "Hey, don't say that. We missed him too, you know."

 

"Really? Are you enjoying having to drop whatever you're doing to see the new movies? What about the board games? The new places in town?"

 

Newt opened his mouth to speak, but looked at the floor and leaned back with a sigh.

 

"I thought I would love having him back in my life after spending so many years away from him. But… it hasn't been what I imagined. Every day, he's always wanted me to do something with him. Either watch a movie or some new show, play a game, or just talk. Every. Single. Day."

 

"Yeah, it's been like that for me too."

 

"The worst part has to be the celebration of Winterveil. I told dad and mum that I didn't want much beyond a smartphone, some books, and basic stuff like a toothbrush and toiletries. Things to get me back on my tail. I'm content with what I got but… the party at Canicula's was…"

 

"Too much. Yeah, I still remember you yelling at him."

 

"Thanks for letting me take the horse back. I just… ugh… I wish he would have fucking listened to me. Breakfast, lunch, opening the presents for everyone else, the kids screaming, the dogs barking, dad wanting to show me stuff he found on TV… I want to bury my head just thinking about it. That, or have another smoke."

 

"Well, it was our first holiday together in decades. He wanted it to be something special. I wouldn't say it turned out that way though."

 

"No kidding." Pythor laughed and looked at the clock. "It's going to be six soon. I'm supposed to meet Salome for dinner at 6:00."

 

"We should probably get going then."

 

Pythor nodded and pushed himself up as he gathered his stuff before heading back to the main house.

 

"Mum! Dad! I'm heading out for a bit."

 

"Hold on, what?" Arcturus came around a corner and looked at the stuff he was wearing. "Where are you going?"

 

"Out to see someone and get some dinner."

 

"You didn't tell me you were planning on leaving. I thought we were going to be eating here?"

 

"I did tell you, yesterday when we were watching yet another movie."

 

"I don't think you should head out. There are probably going to be a lot of people out on the roads and I don't think you can drive. There's also that curfew."

 

"Don't worry, Newt will be driving, and I'll be back before 9."

 

"Pythor, I'm telling you-"

 

"I made plans dad, people are expecting me. I gotta go."

 

Pythor turned around and slithered out the door before he could say anything else.

 

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Pythor rung the doorbell and a few seconds later, a brown constrictai opened the door.

 

"Hello, I'm Pythor. My brother Newt here called you about half an hour ago."

 

"Oh yes, come on in. I'm Delta. You can place any clothes you feel comfortable taking off on the railing in the loft.”

 

As soon as they went inside, they saw Skalidor, a young constrictai, and an older one holding a hatchling in their lap. Beside them, a woman with bright red hair sat watching them play with the kids.

 

Pythor couldn't help but smile as he slithered over to her only to stop when he saw a large black and gray canine in the middle of the room staring at him.

 

"Woah…"

 

"Don't worry, she's just checking you out." The woman on the couch said with a chuckle and patted the couch next to her. "River, come on, you're scaring our guests."

 

The dog stepped closer and sniffed at Pythor before she huffed and climbed up onto the couch to curl up. Feeling safer now, he slithered upstairs and took off his pant leg. He started to do the same for his shirt, but frowned as he looked at his missing arm, and left it on.

 

Finished undressing as much as he wanted to, he slithered downstairs and sat down on the couch opposite the human woman and smiled.

 

"It's really nice to see you again, Salome. I'm glad to see you're doing alright."

 

"You remembered my name?"

 

"Of course. I haven't stopped thinking about you."

 

Silence passed between them for a few seconds and Pythor threw his arms out, making his right sleeve flop in the air.

 

"Crap… anyways, I-I-I know that sounds creepy and all, but… I had no idea if you were okay. A-After you were airlifted out I didn't know if you made it."

 

The laughter that came out of her mouth both confused him and relaxed him.

 

"Sorry, sorry, that was just… hooo, I didn't know I made that much of an impression on you."

 

"Well, when you're at the bottom of a ravine with a bone sticking out of your leg and you're bleeding profusely out of your arm, it's kind of hard not to."

 

She smiled again, and he found himself smiling too. Her bright, green eyes drew him in and he shook his head when he realized she was speaking.

 

"Are you alright?"

 

"Sorry, just tired. It's been a long day, and I didn't get much sleep last night. People were shooting off fireworks when they weren't supposed to." It was sort of true.

 

"Yeah, we could kind of hear them here too. River still gets freaked out by them. Oddly gunshots don't bother her, but fireworks do."

 

"I hate both of them. Tonight's going to be hell." He said and looked at River. "That is one huge dog you've got."

 

"That's because she isn't a dog, she's at least 3/4 wolf." Salome said and rubbed her thigh.

 

"She looks really smart."

 

"She is. Figures out all sorts of ways to get into trouble. Lately she's been a big cuddle ball, though." Salome rubbed her body and played with her snout for a few moments. "Hey, Shayle, that food smells really good."

 

"It's done, do you want us to bring you some?"

 

"Yeah, sure. I'm too comfortable here."

 

"Hey, Pythor. How are you feeling?" Skalidor said as he came over and pet River.

 

"Hey, Skalidor. I guess I'm doing alright, aside from the broken shoulder and… you know."

 

"You hungry? My mother and father just cooked up some lovely beef and noodle stew. They also got some great vegetables smoked up.”

 

"Yeah, it sure smells good." He agreed and kept flicking his tongue out. He looked down at Bytar. “Did you help your dad make any of this?”

 

“Nah, gramma and grampa wouldn't let him.” He said. Skalidor chuckled and picked him up. “Yeah, we wanted to help, but they said they had it handled. But, that just meant I got to spend more time with my little rock here. Come on, we got a lot of food to fill up your belly.”

 

“Okay, I'll be right back, Salome. Can I get you anything?”

 

“I appreciate the offer, but Skalidor can get it for me. I don't want to give you too much to do at once.”

 

Pythor nodded and went over to where the food was set up, and carefully served himself with his tail and the various utensils. He made his way back, already happy to be back around Salome and the others, and that folding tables had been set up for them.

 

A woman came over to sit down next to them while holding a child in her arms, and Pythor gave a short wave. "Oh hello, I don't think we've met yet. I'm Pythor. Who might you two be?"

 

"I'm Alexis Massif, I'm Salome's sister, and this here is Samuel. He's my son." She said and shook his hand. 

 

"He's so cute, he really, really is." He said as he held his hand to his mouth and scooted over with wide eyes. "How old is he?"

 

"He's just over a year old now, about 13 months."

 

"I wish I could hold him." Pythor said as he held out his hand, and smiled as tears formed in his eyes when the baby wrapped his hand around his finger.

 

"I think he likes you." Skalidor said as he came over. Pythor let Sam hold his hand for another minute, then started to eat his food. "I didn't know you had another child. I'm really happy for you."

 

“As am I.” Newt said from a nearby table. “I hope I have kids just as cute as yours are.”

 

“Or even cuter.” Valory said, making Newt turn transparent for a moment.

 

"Thanks, he really is a blessing." She said and gently bounced the baby while Skalidor brought his food over. "I'm really glad I'm finally getting the chance to meet the man who saved my sister's life."

 

"Thanks. I wish I could say it was nothing, but I don't want to trivialize what happened. I know it was really serious."

 

Alexis nodded with a smile and got up to head over to the table and set her baby in a seat for him. Salome started eating for a few moments before she looked up at Pythor.

 

"The doctors told me that if you hadn't been there when you were and kept pressure on my arm, I would have bled out within minutes."

 

"Really?"

 

"Yeah, I got bit right near my brachial artery." Salome agreed.

 

"Damn, just like I thought. I'm glad you had that satellite phone. I don't know what I would have done otherwise. I was worried about moving you since I didn't know if you had received spinal trauma."

 

"Thankfully I hadn't, but I did get a few broken ribs, a broken arm from the bite, a broken leg, broken pelvis, and a concussion."

 

"You look like you're doing a lot better now though, you look really nice."

 

She smiled and looked away for a second as her cheeks flushed, and Pythor felt his heart start beating faster as he smiled too.

 

"I wouldn't say I'm doing better. I can't work right now, I can't go out to the store on my own, and I can't take care of my griffin or my horse."

 

"I know how that feels. Except for the griffon and the mare part."

 

Pythor went back to eating as well, and fumbled with his fork a few times, and ended up dropping it in the bowl with a loud clink after a few minutes. He looked up to see if anyone was looking at him, but no one was beyond a quick glance after the noise. He put the fork down and sighed as he stared at his food.

 

"Why did this have to happen to me…?" He muttered under his breath.

 

"I'm sorry."

 

"So far, all I've had are insults levied at me, saying I deserved to lose more than just my arm given what I've done. It's actually nice to meet someone who will treat me as a person instead of a piece of trash."

 

River hopped up from her spot on the couch and walked over to Pythor to put her snout on his lap. He smiled as he started running his hand through her fluffy fur.

 

"Those people need to get their act together if you ask me." Salome said, and Pythor found himself taken aback at the firmness in her voice. "To insult someone who's gone through a traumatic experience like that is just low."

 

"I wish they would understand that." He sighed before he looked up. "Thanks for sending that letter. I've been going through some tough times lately, and that really meant a lot to me. Oh yeah, that gift card you sent me, did you really mean to put $200 on that? That seems like a lot for a gift card."

 

"Yes, I did. I don't really know much about you or what you like, and since you were just officially released from prison and aren't employed to my knowledge, I figured you could use the money."

 

"Well, thanks. I really, really appreciate it. That drawing you sent was so beautiful too, it's really the best one I've ever seen. I already have it hanging on my wall."

 

"I love drawing, it's a huge pastime for me. I like making gifts for my friends. Sometimes I even sell them."

 

"I love to paint and cook. Cooking and baking sweets especially."

 

"Oh cool. You know, if you're looking for a job, my sister actually could really use a baker at her coffee shop in smooth stone."

 

"Really, you need someone?" Pythor asked as he turned over to face her.

 

"Yeah, one of my cooks had to move off the continent to Rulolis. If you're interested, you could fill out an application and I can consider hiring you."

 

"Ummm… this wouldn't be because of nepotism or the fact that I saved your sister would it?"

 

Alexis chuckled and shook her head. "Maybe, but I'll make sure you're actually qualified and can do stuff in the coffee shop. Do you have a computer and a printer?"

 

Pythor nodded.

 

"Alright, I'll send you an email with an application in it tomorrow, and as soon as you fill it out, I'll see what I can do."

 

"Oh thank you, I can't wait to get started.” He said, and perked up. “Oh, Salome! You said you were having trouble taking care of your animals, right?” He asked with a smile, and she nodded, confused. “Maybe I could come here sometimes throughout the week or month and help around with them?”

 

“Oh, you have experience with them?”

 

“Sure do! I've taken care of horses, unicorns, pegasi, gyphons, and hippogriffs for decades. I love working with them, cleaning them, and making sure they're well fed and happy.”

 

“Well, that would be really nice. I'll let you know when I need you. Thanks for being willing to help.”

 

“I'm happy to. Would it be okay if I met them? Are they okay around strangers?”

 

“Of course. Alex, could you take care of that?” Salome asked.

 

“Right this way.” She said, leading them outside and to the stables across the yard. “I can tell you right now, Salome will really appreciate you doing this for her. She really loves the animals she takes care of.”

 

“I love them too, though, sadly we don’t have any right now.” Pythor said, and thanked her when she opened the door for him. As soon as he slithered inside he smiled at the two animals he saw. A beautiful sandy brown horse, and a dark blue and black hippogriff.

 

“Hello you two. You're really pretty.” He came over to their stalls, and the horse nudged him with her head.

 

“That's Sandy's way of saying hello. I think she likes you.” Alexis said.

 

“It's been so long since I've been around a horse and a hippogriff. They really are amazing animals.” He moved over to the hippogriff, who Alexis told him was named Raven. He smirked when Pythor complimented his appearance and waved his head as if to show off his feathers, but still allowed Pythor to pet them.

 

“Thanks. I really appreciated this. Animals like these really relax me. They’re so gentle and empathetic despite the power they possess. Salome really must take good care of them.”

 

Newt quickly came into the stables with Valory following. He tossed him his pant leg. “Hey, bro? I was just looking at the time, and if we want to make it back with time to spare before your curfew, we should leave now. I think it would be a good idea to leave some buffer time just in case.”

“Alright, sounds like a plan.” Pythor gave his thanks to Alexis and popped inside to wave goodbye to Salome, and left shortly thereafter.

 

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"Soooooooo? What did you think?"

 

Pythor picked his head up off of his arm and looked over at his brother, who was looking over at him with a huge smile on his face.

 

"About what?"

 

"About that cute girl?"

 

"You think she's cute?"

 

"Oh yeah, I know she is, but I saw how you were looking at her. You couldn't stop smiling at her."

 

"I think she looks nice. So?"

 

"So you didn't want to have dinner with the rest of us, and you're wanting to see her again."

 

"Newt, just say it."

 

"You like her, don't you?"

 

Pythor's eyes snapped open and he sat up straight as he stared at Newt, who had a huge grin on his face. "No, no, I don't like her. I mean, I do, but… not like that man!" He stammered and shook his hand. "She is really pretty, but I haven't been interested in anyone like that ever since…"

 

"Oh, right. Shit… sorry, Pythor. I forgot about what happened. I didn't mean to make you remember that."

 

"You didn't… I haven't forgotten. Still… it would be nice. I… I think Xiuh would want me to open myself up more. In fact, I think Terra suggested I do as well. I’ll… I’ll think about it."

 

“Sounds like a good idea to me.” Valory said. “I’ve gotten to know her, and from the time I’ve gotten to know you, I think you two would be a good match for each other.”

 

“Thanks.” Pythor said. They soon pulled into their driveway and backed into the garage, then went into the house.

 

"Where in the underworld have you been?!"

 

He and Newt flinched at Arcturus's voice as he got up off of the couch and came over to them scowling.

 

"Do you have any idea what time it is?"

 

"Ummm… it's 8:20." Newt said after he looked up at the clock.

 

"It's almost 9 pm! You're supposed to be back here by then, Pythor! I hope you aren't planning on cutting it that close every night."

 

Pythor lifted an eyebrow. "You call forty minutes cutting it close? We left early so we'd have plenty of time to get back in case it really started snowing."

 

"I don't want you being out that late anymore. Now, where were you?"

 

"We were just hanging out and having dinner with Skalidor and that girl I saved in the national forest. It was actually really nice. I even have a strong chance of getting a job at a bakery."

 

His jaw dropped for a second and he shook his head. "A job?! Pythor, I told you I wanted you to wait until your shoulder was healed up before you tried looking for one!"

 

Pythor scoffed and slithered back some. "Why? It's not like I'm going to be using that arm for anything, and I told you that my doctors said it could be at least four more weeks before my shoulder was healed up. Besides, they told me that keeping it motionless could cause it to become stiff! The probation officer also said that I needed to find a job before the end of January, and I finally have an offer."

 

"No, you're not getting it! You're still hurt and getting used to only having one arm. We can talk things out with the probation officer. I want you to be more-"

 

"I'm not going to just sit on my tail for a month watching movies and tv, dad! I've had enough of that. I need to keep myself busy or I'm going to crack. You have no idea how close I've come to lighting up a cigarette because of these past few days!"

 

"Hey! Don't blame your addiction on me! I didn't make you start smoking. And I thought you enjoyed watching that stuff with me." He said as he crossed his arms.

 

"NO! How could I enjoy myself, when every single night you pestered me to come and watch this new, cool show or movie you found? You didn't care if I was wanting to read a book or paint! I’ve hardly had any time to relax by myself or adjust to my new life because you haven’t given me a chance to!"

 

"Well, excuse me for just wanting to reconnect with you after not seeing you for over 75 years! You could have came back home, you know?"

 

Pythor hissed and glared at him as he tightened his grip on the couch. "You know why I didn't."

 

"Do I? I'm starting to wonder how much control the monks actually had over your life. Maybe you just wanted to stay in Myonlac playing in that dragon casino you built instead of seeing your family."

 

"Arcturus, stop-" Maera tried to say, only to be ignored completely.

 

"Yeah, it's totally because I didn't want to see my big sister, my baby brother, or Yukene before Chen painted the walls with her blood."

 

"He what…?" Arcturus gasped before he shook his head. "Alright, smart-aleck, why didn't you then? Since you seem to think I'm so clueless, why didn't you come back?"

 

"It's because I realized that you're just an overprotective, selfish, clingy man who thinks he can come back into everyone's lives and tell them how to live it! You're just as controlling as Aihtiram was!"

 

"Well at least I didn't burn your family alive!"

 

A second passed before Arcturus was lifted off the ground and thrown back across the room, flipping the couch over, breaking a lamp, and destroying a bookshelf.

 

"WHAT THE FUCK, PYTHOR?!" Newt screamed as he slithered over, but Pythor stormed across the room and grabbed Arcturus by the fangs.

 

"I should have left you in the cursed realm."

 

Pythor shoved Arcturus to the floor and turned around. Newt tried to block his path to the back door, but Maera grabbed his arm and shook her head as Pythor slammed the sliding door shut so hard it got knocked off its rail.

 

Pythor slithered up to the treehouse and locked the door behind him, then shut all of the blinds and curtains. He leaned back against the kitchen counter and let himself slide onto the floor as he put a hand on his head.

 

BOOM! BOOM-BOOM!

 

Pythor snapped his head up and crunched himself up as much as possible as the booming echoes of fireworks filled the sky, and he tried to find somewhere in the treehouse to go, but there was nowhere away from the noise.

 

He almost got up to run back into the main house, but stopped and hurried up to the loft as he threw himself onto the bed and held onto a pillow for dear life.

Chapter 10: Date Night

Summary:

Pythor gets to work at Alexis's coffee shop, learns what has happened to the ninja in Stiix, has lunch with Ed, Edna, and his friend Fangdam, and has a nice evening with his new girlfriend.

Edited 7/30/25 to fix Raven's species, add minor changes to Serpentine culture, and made Lloyd an adult. I also gave Raven greater sentience.

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[January 20th, 2016 - 8:00 am]

 

"Pythor, medium Caramel Mocha with extra foam and cinnamon bun, and al blueberry ristretto."

 

"Got it, Alex."

 

Pythor easily moved around the coffee shop, weaving his tail around the legs of the other baristas while using his telekinesis to carry drinks. A dance of hot beverages floating around without a single drop spilled. He made the ristretto first while getting a warmed cinnamon bun out, then got the mocha cooked up.

 

"You're doing really well, you've settled in quickly." Alexis said as Pythor served the orders.

 

"Yeah, having a job like this is something that I really love, something where I can do a good service for people."

 

"If you weren't working here, where would you be? Like, if you had your dream job."

 

"I'd like to be an art teacher. There weren't a lot of good schools back when I was a kid, and I want to share what I had with kids today."

 

"I think you should go for it. It sounds like you're very passionate about it, and I think you'd be a great one."

 

"Heh, I doubt you've seen any of my paintings, but thanks. Hopefully I can get enough money from here that I can buy or build a place to be an art school."

 

Pythor turned towards the door when he heard the bell jingle, and gulped when he locked eyes with the two-headed fangpyre that just slithered in with Lloyd.

 

"Hello… Pythor ." Fangtom sighed.

 

"Umm, hello, Fangtom."

 

"So, I see this is where you're spending your time now. I heard you were released by Ninjago." He said through his two heads as he crossed his arms and looked over at the window, his voice lowering. "A mistake if there ever was one."

 

Pythor's gaze fell to the countertop, but he quickly snapped back up when Fangtom turned back over. He didn't know if he meant for him to hear that. Alexis came over to the rescue.

 

"Hey Fangtom, heading into work?"

 

He immediately perked up and smiled as he started talking with Alexis and pretended like Pythor wasn't even there, something he was content to agree with until Alexis passed him his order along with Lloyd's.

 

"You sure Fangtom will be okay with me making this?"

 

"If he really wants his caffeine and sweets, he'll have to be."

 

Pythor sighed and got to work on making him a cappuccino and a couple of muffins. He frowned when Fangtom didn't even acknowledge him as he served him his order and took a seat. At least Lloyd mumbled a “thanks”.

 

"Is it alright if I ask what that was about?" Alexis asked after Fangtom left, while Lloyd remained behind.

 

"Is it really appropriate to discuss that during work hours?"

 

"Well, there's not really many people here right now. Plus I don't want anyone mistreating my employees."

 

"I guess…"

 

"You don't have to if you don't want to."

 

Pythor hesitated as he cleaned the counter. Truthfully, he didn't want to, but he thought about what could happen in the future if Fangtom kept stopping in the coffee shop.

 

"I-I tried to hurt him and his bosses… badly just over a year ago. I shot him with a couple of arrows and broke his boss's leg. Understandably he hasn't forgotten that."

 

"Oh. I thought he'd be more upset if that was the case."

 

"Oh trust me, I could tell he's still pissed. Very, very pissed. There, I spilled the metaphorical coffee beans.”

 

"I wish I knew what to say."

 

"It's alright…" He said and kept cleaning the counter. "There's nothing to say."

 

Pythor looked over the counter after serving another customer and noticed Lloyd sitting by the window, barely picking at his muffin. His shoulders were sagging, and his feet had been dragging on the way in. He wasn't even dressed in his ninja gi, just sweatpants, a gray t-shirt, and a green hoodie.

 

Pythor looked over to Alexis and motioned to Lloyd, and after a few seconds she nodded, and he went over.

 

"Hey, Lloyd, how are you doing?"

 

“Okay.”

 

“Are you sure? Most people don't order a redeye.”

 

“I'm just tired. I haven't been sleeping good lately.”

 

"I'm sorry to hear that. You know, I'm surprised to see you here, especially this early. Did you fly here? Or take the train?"

 

"I flew here myself on Tuesday. I've been staying with Fangtom. I don't know when I'll be going back."

 

"How come?"

 

Lloyd roughly set his coffee cup down and sighed.

 

"Sensei Wu is trying to get me back to training again already. I don't know if I want to go back right now."

 

"Seriously? Ugh, sometimes I can't believe him. Does he even care about what happened to you?"

 

"I don't know, but I'm glad you do." He said and added a small smile, although it didn't match his dull, green eyes or lift the dark circles underneath them. "I got the letter you sent me. I'm sorry I haven't responded sooner."

 

"It's alright. I was really worried about you. I heard about what happened before Stiix and… fuck… I'm so sorry."

 

Lloyd's smile quickly dropped and his eyes started to tear up as he crossed his arms on the table. "I really don't want to talk about that. It's bad enough that I lost my father."

 

A couple of people came into the coffee shop, and Pythor started to get up. "Let's go somewhere more private, or at least quiet."

 

Lloyd nodded and followed him outside and across the street, and they sat down on a brick ledge near a small park.

 

"What do you mean? Did something happen to Garmadon?"

 

Lloyd looked up as he started to cry and tried to speak. "I got dragged inside the Preeminent, and… I saw my father inside it. He was chained up and… I couldn't free him. He told me to leave him and get out while I still could. Then, when Nya drowned the Preeminent with a tsunami, he…"

 

Pythor's stomach dropped. He knew the Preeminent was basically a pseudo-ghost, and he was well aware of what happened to them when they came into contact with water. He gently put his arm around Lloyd's shoulders and scooted over to him.

 

"I'm so sorry to hear that. I really am, I can't imagine what that must have been like for you. If skulkin could leave the underworld, I had hoped there would be a way out of the cursed realm for him.”

 

"Isn't it funny?" He chuckled. "Just three months ago I was trying to get the rest of the team together when they wanted to live normal lives, and now it's the other way around."

 

"I don't really think it's funny. You're only 16 right?"

 

"20, actually… I think. I don't know, the tomorrow's tea aged me up quite a bit, and there's the fact that my father lived for thousands of years… but yeah. I'm an adult.

 

"Well, you're still a young man. You should be allowed to have your own life. Children like yourself shouldn't be forced to take part in battles. You should be allowed to volunteer, to go to school, get a job, and be yourself if you want."

 

"I wish sensei Wu would understand that."

 

"So do I. I don't know much about what he does, but if I were in charge, I'd let you go out and play sports, draw, play games, whatever. Within reason of course."

 

Out of nowhere, Lloyd spun and wrapped Pythor in a full-body hug, pressing his face to his shirt as he began to cry into it.

 

"I wish you were our sensei, or at least part of our team. I wish I didn't have to be a ninja and lose everyone around me! I should have been able to save my father! He shouldn't have died! I had just sent him to the cursed realm not two months before I lost him…"

 

Pythor felt his eyes watering and found himself gently rubbing Lloyd's back as he sat in his lap.

 

"I know this really hurts Lloyd, but I know what it's like to lose your family and not be able to save them."

 

Lloyd looked up at him with his puffy eyes. "You-you do?"

 

Pythor gulped and his eyes widened slightly. He hadn't meant to let that slip out. His mind scrambled for any justification as Lloyd waited for him to respond. Eventually, he sighed and nodded.

 

"Was it your father?"

 

"No, he died when Arcturus overthrew him."

 

"Who then?"

 

He looked away as he tried to muster the will to say it. This was the first time he has told anyone outside his family.

 

"I had a family before I was exiled by my mother and father. I had a wife, a hypnobrai named Xiuh, and… I was also a father to a little boy named Indigo and a girl named Cinder. I lost them a long time ago."

 

"Y-you were a father? What happened?"

 

"As royalty, I wasn't supposed to have relationships with the lower classes and especially species other than anacondrai, because then they would share our wealth,  but I did. Well, years and years passed, but eventually I got found out and… my parents… killed them. It… still hurts to think about it.”

 

"Shit… I just remembered, I told you that you had no idea what it was like raising a child. I'm so sorry."

 

"Lloyd, it's okay. You didn't know."

 

"I still shouldn't have said it, I shouldn't have assumed."

 

"Lloyd, really, it's okay. I'm not upset at you. I'm just happy we're able to talk like this."

 

"Why can't I just go back to when we were friends, when we would go to waterparks and movie theaters and do whatever we wanted? It's not fair!"

 

"I know Lloyd, I know. I wish we could go back to those times too. I remember all the times we had when we were camping out and roasting s'mores, eating candy, and eating so much we both got stomach aches."

 

"We both threw up." He said and weakly chuckled as he hugged Pythor tighter.

 

"Ow Ow OW! Watch my shoulder! It's still broken!" Pythor said and gently pushed Lloyd away.

 

"Sorry. I forgot. How is it feeling? I mean, other than right now."

 

"A little better. The fracture is mostly healed, but it's still sore. I'm hoping it will get healed up soon. I got a physical therapy appointment tomorrow."

 

"How did it happen?"

 

"I was bitten by a cougar while saving a pretty girl."

 

"Ouch."

 

"Yeah, but hey, it's worked out. I got a date with her later this week!" Pythor chuckled and thought for a moment. "How's Gale doing? New year's must have been distressing for her."

 

Lloyd looked down and the ground and clasped his hands together.

 

"You have no idea. She's carrying eggs now."

 

"What? From who?"

 

"Wisp. Shear, Morro’s wind dragon possessed him at some point and mated with her. We don't know how it happened outside of her season, but… it's really tough on her.”

 

"Shit… I'm really sorry to hear that. That's… really rough." He said. He couldn’t imagine how hard either of the two dragons were taking this. “Hey, let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

 

"Thanks for your support, and the offer, but, I’m sure you’re going through a lot yourself. I should probably get going. I do miss seeing Kai and the others. Thanks for being willing to talk with me."

 

"I'll always be willing. Also, if you want, you can come over to my house and hang out whenever you want. I'm sure Newt won't mind if you stay in my treehouse for a little bit."

 

He gasped and smiled. "You have a treehouse?! I'm definitely coming over then!"

 

Pythor smiled and pulled him in for a hug. "I'm glad we can be friends again, you little scamp."

 

"Sorry for attacking you and getting you in trouble with the law."

 

"It's alright, I'll deal with it."

 

Lloyd pulled back and smiled at Pythor before walking off and giving him a wave, and Pythor watched him with a smile and wave of his own.

 

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Pythor sat down on a bench in the park as he held a book in his left hand and blew smoke out of his mouth. He glanced up and saw a certain fangpyre who just so happened to be passing by and smiled.

 

"Hey! Fangdam! Over here!"

 

Fangdam smiled with both of his heads and came over to Pythor. "Hey, Pythor. How are you feeling?" The Fangpyre asked as he signed with his hands.

 

The phrasing of the question made Pythor's smile fade and he took the cigarette out of his mouth and put it away in a portable ashtray.

 

"I don't know, I was doing alright earlier, but- You know, I wish I could still sign with you. I taught myself it so that I could communicate with you, even act as an interpreter."

 

"You still can. It is possible to sign with only one hand, it just takes a little bit of learning."

 

"There's a lot I'm learning how to do. Sometimes it feels overwhelming."

 

"I know you can do it though. You're one of the smartest serpentine I know."

 

Pythor smiled and reached over to hug him, and his smile stretched even wider as he felt him hug him back. "Thank you for that letter you sent me. What you said in it really meant a lot to me."

 

Fangdam pulled away so he could sign again. "I'm just glad I could get it to you. I was worried I couldn't."

 

"Well, knowing Jule probably helped." Pythor said and looked at his hand. "You probably think I'm a bloody hypocrite though."

 

Fangdam blinked and paused for a moment. "What? Why do you think that?"

 

Pythor picked up his ashtray and shook it. "Who's the one who helped you to stop smoking?"

 

"Pythor, it's okay if you smoke while trying to keep someone else from still doing it. We all have our reasons for starting stuff like that."

 

"No it's not! What authority do I have to say that someone shouldn't do something if I am also doing it?"

 

"You don't. You can't tell someone that they are or aren't allowed to do something like this. You do have experience though. You know firsthand what smoking does to your physical and mental health. If you didn't smoke, some might say you can't tell them that they shouldn't since 'you haven't done it'."

 

Pythor looked away and pulled out a cigarette carton. "I hate that I can't stop. I've already smoked three today. It's not every day that I smoke a cigarette, but the days that I do are getting closer together. I am so, so scared that I'm going to need some kind of surgery to help me breathe, or worse, die because of these damn cigarettes."

 

They sat there in silence for a couple of minutes before Pythor felt Fangdam gently clasp his hand in his for a moment.

 

"You still can stop. You're still a young person like me. If you stop smoking for at least 5 days, you'll feel less cravings and have a greater chance of staying away from them."

 

"You call being 309 young? I doubt I'll ever get to that point though. I can't make it more than two or three days."

 

"I put together a support group for people like you who are struggling with addictions. We meet twice a month on Saturdays if you're interested, that way people don't have to take days off work or come in super late to talk."

 

"You sure no one will judge me, given who I am?"

 

"Trust me, I promise no one won't. If they do, I'll take care of it."

 

"Thanks man, I'll… I'll be there."

 

"Want to go get some lunch at a diner? I'm going to be meeting Ed and Edna there in about half an hour."

 

Pythor hesitated at the idea of eating with two people he had tried to kill, but, truthfully, he did want to see them. He had to start making up for his actions somehow, and so he nodded.

 

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On the bus, Pythor browsed for products dragons expecting eggs could use, and found nesting material that had very great heat retention and bought it. He already had an idea what to write in a letter he'd send with it and a certificate for some large game once it was shipped.

 

A short bus ride later, and they stepped out close to a retro-style diner in the center of town and went inside it.

 

"Looks like they aren't here yet." Fangdam said.

 

"Hopefully they get here soon. I'd hate to take up a table when other people could use it."

 

"Let's wait then."

 

Pythor nodded and sat down on a cushioned seat in the vestibule and pulled out a book. A few minutes later, he glanced up and saw them getting out of a pickup truck and slithered over to hold the door open for them.

 

"Pythor?!" Ed asked as he hopped back some and put an arm in front of Edna.

 

"Yes, it's me. Hello." He said in as calm a tone as he could manage. "I'm here with Fangdam. He invited me for lunch earlier."

 

They looked at him, still tense, but relaxed some when Fangdam came over to wave them in.

 

"We didn't know he was planning on inviting you." Edna said as she still looked at him after they did.

 

Fangdam tapped him on the shoulder and started signing.

 

"He said 'I just thought of it when I was talking with him in the park. He really helped me out in the past.'."

 

"You know sign language?" Ed asked.

 

"Yeah, I wanted to learn it so that I could understand serpentine who couldn't talk or couldn't hear, even communicate for them, if they wanted." He said and smiled.

 

"Hello, will you be eating with us today?" A male human asked as he came over to the podium.

 

"Yes, a table for…" Ed said and looked at Pythor. "Four. A table please."

 

Pythor smiled and almost did a little jump in excitement before they were led over to a table and given some menus.

 

"Once we decide what we want, could I please say something. I want to get something off my chest." Pythor requested, and they nodded.

 

"Alright, what is it?" Edna asked, and the tone of her voice and the expression on her face made Pythor flinch for a moment.

 

"I… I wanted to say that I was sorry for hurting you. It's my understanding that you and your husband suffered injuries from my actions at your scrapyard, with your husband receiving a broken leg. I'm sincerely sorry for doing what I did."

 

Now they paused at how he spoke as he looked at them, hoping for a response.

 

"You're apologizing? You tried to kill our little boy, his friends, and Fangtom!” Ed scoffed, thankfully keeping his voice low. “Why would you even want to do that? What did we ever do to hurt you?"

 

"Nothing." Pythor said, almost in a whisper as he tried to keep himself composed.

 

"Then why did you try to hurt us?”

 

"I don't want to make excuses. You don't deserve to get some crappy excuse for why I did it."

 

"Maybe we'd like to see you try. Let us have it." Edna demanded as she leaned forwards.

 

Pythor found himself looking into her deep brown eyes and flinched as she and her husband sat there in silence. He felt his eyes becoming wet, but he wiped them before anything could come of them. He refused to cry, especially in public.

 

"I-I can't. What… what can I say? That I had a rough childhood because I was supposed to be the ideal prince? That I was upset at how serpentine P.O.W.s were treated? That it wasn't my fault because the cloud kingdom was writing what I would do? What am I supposed to say? What do you want to hear?"

 

He took several deep breaths to calm himself, only to end up violently coughing into his elbow.

 

“Woah, are you okay?” Ed asked, leaning forwards slightly as Pythor wheezed.

 

“I'm sorry, I… I'll… I'll be okay.” He wheezed, and finally started speaking about a minute later. “I know you want to hear an excuse, but I just can't give you one. Please… believe me when I say that I regret every single thing I ever did to hurt you. It was wrong, no matter what my reasons are, it was wrong, and I never should have hurt you."

 

They looked at each other again and sighed.

 

"We'll forgive you, Pythor. Just, please, promise that you won't hurt our son or Fangtom again." Edna said.

 

"I promise I won't, and thank you." Pythor smiled as their food was brought out to them, and he grabbed the chicken sandwich he ordered and started eating it, and his chest got warm as he did.

 

"So, what have you been up to lately?" Ed asked.

 

Pythor got a flat face when he answered with his mouth full and gulped it down. "Sorry, I'm starving. I said I've been dealing with the probation office lately."

 

"I'm surprised you got off with just that considering what you've done."

 

"I didn't. You heard about me being exonerated right?" Pythor asked, and they nodded. "Turns out, having your life be written by someone else is like doing stuff against your will. Still don't see it like that myself, but this wrist monitor I got here is for assault."

 

"You still hurt someone?" Edna asked with a scoff.

 

"Technically, yes. Actually? No. I didn't actually hurt someone, I was only defending myself because someone was kicking me in the gut and stomping on my head. Some idiots in office though used the letter of the law to put this on me and now I'm stuck with it."

 

"I'd be careful what you say. I heard those things can record audio." Fangdam noted.

 

"Oh trust me, I'm not stupid. I know they're going to listen to me regardless. I won't give them the satisfaction of making me tiptoe around my words."

 

"Still, you should be careful."

 

"Ugh, as if I'm not hearing that enough lately." He sighed and put his chin on his hand. "Admittedly, it does limit what I can do though. I'd rather not have to deal with them listening to me should I find myself in an intimate setting or one where confidentiality is required, like a doctor's office."

 

"Yeah, that would be awkward."

 

"Tell me about it." Pythor said and looked at his watch. "Ugh, I gotta get back to work. I need to leave now if I want to catch the bus."

 

"Go ahead, we'll take care of the bill." Ed said.

 

"Really?"

 

"Yeah, it's alright."

 

"Oh, thank you. I really appreciate it. Wish I could talk more, but I gotta go. I got a date tonight and I really need to get this smoke off my breath. Hope to see you three again soon."

 

Pythor got up and put on his coat and headed out.

 

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[5:30 pm]

 

"Woah, careful there Raven." Pythor said as he came in for a landing and touched down in the backyard of Salome's house and held tight to the pizza box. He opened it and breathed a sigh of relief to find that the cheese and toppings hadn't slid to one side.

 

He slid off the hippogriff and went up to the front door and rang the bell.

 

"I'll be right there!" Salome called from the other side of the door, and Pythor found himself bouncing in excitement as he waited for it to open.

 

"Hey Sally." He said with a soft smile, and found himself gazing at her beautiful copper-red hair framing her white skin. "You look really nice today."

 

"So do you. Your scales look so shiny and crisp. You also smell really nice."

 

He blinked. “Wait… really? You don't smell any smoke?”

 

“I mean, not really. I can tell when people have it on their breath, and yours doesn't smell bad.”

 

“Oh that is awesome! ” He said and jumped slightly. “I was worried I'd make you uncomfortable. I'm glad what I did to freshen up before I came over worked."

 

She stepped aside, allowing Pythor to slither inside, and he held the door open for Raven, who nodded at him. The hippogriff stepped over to the counter and unfastened the harness around him, then took out the pizza boxes inside. Pythor came over to help by taking holding a couple other boxes and a soda wrapped up in his tail.

 

“Hey, Raven?” He asked, and the hippogriff looked over at him. “I really want to thank you for letting me ride you. It really makes getting here, to work, and back home so much easier. I don't have to rush as much or anything now."

 

“No problem. I'm happy to help since you helped my friend.” He wrote on a chalkboard hanging from his neck. “It's better than laying in the stables or the house all day anyways.”

 

“Wow, this stuff looks really delicious. Did you buy all this yourself?" Salome asked.

 

"Some of it. Ummm… my brother gave me most of the money." He chuckled and rubbed his head. "It's also probably cold now since… you know, we were flying with it."

 

"Are you cold?"

 

"A little, yes." Although his shivering didn't back up his words.

 

"Well, don't worry, I got plenty of blankets we can use." She said as she put the ice cream in the freezer while he watched her.

 

“Hey, Salome? I… actually need to talk with you about something before we continue this, what we're doing.”

 

“Huh? Wh-What about?” She turned to look at him, and her confusion grew as he pulled a chair over with his tail and sat down on it.

 

“I think I may have children, with another woman who I was romantically involved with several months ago.” He said, and tensed up as he clasped his hands together and looked away for a moment, and turned his gaze back to her. “I still miss her, but I want to tell you everything so that you can make your own decision about if you want to continue this or not.”

 

She frowned slightly, but remained silent, which he took as a sign to continue.

 

“In early September of last year, I was abducted from Kryptarium Prison, but I eventually found my way to one of the ninja monasteries because I didn't know how to fly as a dragon. They hunted food for me, took care of me, and taught me how to fly. Most importantly though, they gave me the companionship and emotional support that I had really been missing throughout most of my life.”

 

He took a deep breath and continued.

 

“I haven't been in a romantic relationship with anyone for most of my life, with the exception of one woman in the distant past. That changed though when these three dragons, Terra, Wisp, and Crest let me into their family or group, so to speak. I felt my heart connecting with them in a way I hadn't felt for a very long time. They trusted me and supported me even after I told them I was the person who had hurt their friends before.”

 

Salome's face started to soften, and he continued speaking, hoping that she wouldn't turn him down after this.

 

“About a week after this, and four weeks after we had gotten to know each other, we had sex, and I'm like 80% sure I got Terra pregnant. We haven't talked in a while because my identity got exposed and I was forced to run for my life, she and the other two dragons got arrested for helping me, I… lost my arm and got hospitalized, then I had to deal with the courts… there's been a lot going on.”

 

“So, are you… actually wanting to get back with Terra? Is this whole thing an apology?”

 

“Yes, and no.” He said, only to grunt and hit himself on the head slightly. “I do want to get back in a relationship with her and Wisp because I do feel an attraction to them, but I also feel a romantic attraction towards you as well that has been growing since I've been working for you. Not sexual, because… well, I feel like we aren't that close. Yet, at least.”

 

He sighed and looked at her face. “I'm telling you this because I want you to be informed so you can make your own decision. If you aren't comfortable dating someone who is in love with a couple of other dragons, and especially could be a father with one of them, then I understand 100%. I won't hold any ill will towards you if you say no. I just wanted you to know now so that you didn't think I was treating you to a nice night, then ‘surprise, I'm in love with someone else’.”

 

“Well, thank you. I don't think I can say how much I appreciate you telling me this. I don't know if I'm okay sharing someone with three other dragons. You said… three, right? You mentioned Crest.”

 

“I know I had sex with him, but I'm not actually attracted to him. He's just what I consider a good friend. I'm really only attracted to Wisp and Terra, who are themselves mates with each other. I don’t know if that would make a difference for you, though.”

“I don’t know either. I grew up being taught that you were only supposed to love one person, and especially of the opposite sex. Love was only meant for one person, and if you expressed that love with another, it meant you didn’t really love this one person.”

“I grew up the same way. Hell, my parents even restricted who I was allowed to love. They wanted me to enter an arranged marriage. As for an open or polyamourous relationship, I also know that one person may not be able to meet 100% of another’s needs, but that's okay. I think that's why Wisp and Terra let me have sex with them, and why they let me into their relationship. They knew I needed a special kind of love, and they wanted to share it with me.”

 

“What… What if you fell in love with someone else?” She looked away. “Or what if I thought I was?”

 

“Then I would tell you and Terra and Wisp, and I would trust that you would do the same for me.” He said, and put his hand on his chest. “If you really want to do this, then this kind of a relationship would need to have open and honest communication along all channels. I would need to talk with you and them, and you would need to talk with me, maybe Terra and Wisp, but that's something we would have to work out with them.”

 

“And… what if something happened in the relationship or… relationships? Like, if I wasn't okay with sharing you anymore. Would you break up with me, or them?”

 

“To be honest, I… would probably end the relationship with you.” He said, and she blinked. “It's only because I might already have children with Terra. If I do, then I owe it to her and them to be involved in their lives. It's just the right thing to do in my opinion.”

 

“Well, I appreciate you being honest and not dancing around your answer.” She said and sighed. “I… I guess I can give this a shot. It's definitely going to be weird though, and take some getting used to.”

 

“I agree. It will take some getting used to for me as well, but I think we can make this work.”

 

“Me too.” She said, smiling some.

 

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"How are your injuries healing?"

 

"Well, my ribs are completely healed up now, so it's a lot easier to breathe and sleep. I'm also going to be getting this cast off next week, and the metal rod in my leg removed the next.”

 

"Hey, that's great! I should be able to get this sling off too around next week or so." He said as he put his stuff in the microwave.

 

"That's nice too. Although, my doctors still want me to keep my arm in the sling for another week or two. That cougar bit down really hard on my arm. I don't know when I'll be able to stop wearing this brace."

 

"Hopefully it will be soon. I imagine you miss being able to treat horses and gryphons."

 

"Definitely. My friends have been having to work longer hours or more days because of me not being able to do anything besides desk work, and even that isn't much."

 

"Well, don't rush yourself, alright? I'd hate to see you end up in the hospital again."

 

"I'll try not to." She said, and he noticed her staring down at her food on the counter for a moment.

 

"Don't worry, if anything happens, just give me a call and I'll hurry over and take you there."

 

"You'd really do that?" She asked as she looked up at him while he poured her some soda using his tail.

 

"Definitely, as long as it isn't between 9 pm and 7 am." He said, and immediately realized how that could sound. "I wish I didn't have to say it like that, but I'll be arrested if I'm not on my brother's property during that time."

 

"I understand, and thank you. It really means a lot to me that you'd be willing to do that. You've already done so much helping me out around here." She said with a smile that melted his heart, and it got even bigger when he offered to carry her food over to the end tables. "I asked my parents if they could take me to my physical therapy appointments, and they usually say they're busy, but I know they're just doing work on their computers."

 

"They're too busy to take you to the doctor or physical therapy? That's fucked up." He said as he carried his own food over.

 

"Yeah, we aren't too close."

 

"That's still no excuse. I'm having problems with my own dad right now, but I know he'd be willing to drive me to the hospital if I really needed to go. If I could, I'd fly you to the hospital if you were really hurt."

 

"I'm sure we could both fit on Raven."

 

"Oh, uh, yeah, but I meant I'd fly you there on me."

 

She snickered and put a hand on her mouth as she sat down. "How? Do you know a spell for flight?"

 

"No, I can transform into a dragon."

 

"What? No you can't."

 

He grinned and leaned forward towards her as he took off his sling. "Oh yeah? Watch this. Look out the window."

 

He slithered out the door and across the wet grass, and he could see her watching him from inside. Pythor took a deep breath and let energy flow through him as his size increased tenfold. He smiled at her with his toothy maw when he saw her leaning forwards with her jaw on the floor.

 

That smile of his quickly vanished when he found himself stumbling to the left and falling onto his side, covering his scales in mud. He frowned when he saw her falling back as she laughed, and grumbled as he got off and shook the mud off before heading back inside.

 

"Well, that definitely wasn't an illusion, I felt the impact from here!" She laughed, Raven squacking beside her.

 

"Yeah, yeah, at least now you know." He groaned as his mouth quivered while he put the sling back on and dried himself off.

 

"That is so awesome. I didn't know it was possible to do that!"

 

"Normally it isn't, but it's something that runs in my family, so we can do it whenever we like."

 

"What about your gps monitor? How did you change that?"

 

“Oh, that was my elemental power. It's called imagination, but it basically works like alchemy. Actually, I think you've seen me using it to fix things like fences and walls around here.”

 

"You are so awesome."

 

His heart beat faster when he heard that and slithered over to sit next to her on the couch.

 

"So, what will we be watching?"

 

"Kasala." She said as she handed him the cover while she got up to put the VHS tape in the player.

 

"Huh, I haven't heard of it before. Oh, I see, this came out while I was still locked in the tomb. There are a lot of nice movies out there that I missed seeing in theaters."

 

"This one was a flop, didn't even make half its money back at the box office. Don't know why though, I enjoy watching it every time I see it."

 

"So, how did you end up caring for animals like horses and gryphons?" Pythor asked as the movie started up.

 

"Well, I was kind of rebellious as a little girl. My parents wanted me and my sister to follow their careers and do stuff like accounting or taxes, and they were very strict about homework too. Usually me and my sister would end up playing in the woods and get dirty."

 

"One day, I found a young wolf that had gotten caught in a bear trap and had a broken leg. He was in so much pain that I couldn't just leave him there, so I managed to open it and take him home to try and heal him. I named him Luna."

 

"About a week or so later, Alexis and I came home from school and he was gone. Our parents had discovered him and claimed he ran off when he saw them. We got dismissed early from school a few of days later due to snow. I wanted to try and find him while my parents were still at work… and I did. He was lying in a field off some road, being picked apart by vultures. He had been shot right between the eyes."

 

Pythor's stomach churned and he reached over to put his hand on hers. "I'm sorry."

 

She looked at him and wrapped her hand around his. "That's why I can't stand poachers like these two guys." She said as she gestured at the screen. "I wanted to be a veterinarian so I could help more animals like Luna, but when I saw how much of a need there was for equines, and especially gryphons, hippogriffs, and pegasi, I switched my focus to them instead."

 

"That's a really nice thing you're doing. I definitely think there aren't enough vets out there in the world, especially nice ones like you."

 

She smiled at that, and Pythor did too when he saw her cheeks turning pink.

 

"This movie is already looking really nice. I'm loving the music here. Really feels like a masterpiece." Pythor said, and chuckled when Sarah caused fish to be spilled on the deck. "Guess she's not going to clean that up, huh?"

 

"Nope." Salome chuckled to herself.

 

"Okay, this 'spirit mumbo-jumbo' stuff feels really forced. I mean, does this native guy greet everyone with this story? The kid just came in asking for the mail." He asked shortly after.

 

"Yeah, I thought the same thing when I watched this. It probably could have been done better. Then again, this is a family movie, kids probably wouldn't question stuff like this."

 

"Well, I like to. It's how I enjoy movies like this, asking questions, speculating, theorizing."

 

"Hey, it's good to question things, makes you smart." Salome said.

 

"No question what's going to happen to Luke though for kicking that oil." Pythor said as he got up. "I'm going to get some ice cream. You want some?"

 

"Sure, I'll take two of each."

 

"Alright, I'll get River some of the vanilla too." He said and got the ice cream out of the freezer, and gave River hers first, then started scooping theirs while using his tail to brace the containers.

 

Pythor felt like he was so much lighter tonight. He was moving faster, noticed his voice had a higher tone to it, and he was talking a lot more than he normally did. He stopped what he was doing for a moment and just looked over at Salome.

 

"You are so, so, so beautiful, Salome." Pythor said under his breath before he carried the ice cream over with the toppings she wanted.

 

"Yeah?! Well I wish you had died instead of her!"

 

Pythor flinched harshly at that line in the movie and Salome looked over at him as he set River's ice cream on the floor in a bowl. "I'm alright. It's just… ugh… that line hit hard. Why does this kid hate his dad? This movie makes him seem kind of like a jerk, even with the new move and the loss of a parent."

 

"Well, that's probably why he's so upset. His dad's gone for most of the day, and they're stuck in this small, unfamiliar town that they just moved to."

 

"Ooooh, yeah, that makes sense. If I were in this movie, I'd actually sit down and talk with them about why I do what I do, and how it's for them. I'd also help them get acquainted with the townsfolk, so that they had friends and other people they could spend time with."

 

"Well, I think you'd be a great father then."

 

"Thanks, that means a lot." He said as he wiped his eyes and ate more of his ice cream. Once he was finished, he scooted over close to Salome and watched more of the movie.

 

He felt his scales tingle when she put a hand on his lap, and before he knew it, he had put an arm around her shoulder and was leaning against her.

 

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"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!"

 

"You sure this is a family movie? I mean, with this and the boogie woogie bear corpse earlier I can't really tell. Especially that last one. I'm surprised that it wasn't cut out of the movie."

 

"Yeah, that surprised me too when I first saw it with Alex."

 

"Oh, is she the one who showed it to you?"

 

"Yeah, she's a big movie buff. She and Skalidor like to have movie parties every now and then."

 

"She's really nice."

 

"Yeah, she really is." Salome said and looked down at the carpet as her face fell. "She helped put me through college, and it cost her a lot to do it. My parents hardly provided any money for me to get my bachelor's degree in veterinary science. I had to take out several student loans, and since she co-signed it, it's costing her too."

 

Pythor stopped paying attention to the movie when he heard her voice shaking and saw her eyes watering.

 

"I still have over $120,000 in student loan debt, and I don't think I've even made a dent in paying it off. I can't even work right now, and I'm still having to pay off interest! My doctors have said that I may not even be able to ride a horse or gryphon for six months."

 

"Salome, I know this may sound hard to believe, but I'm sure you can pull this off."

 

"How can you be so sure? You've never even been to college. I don't have as much money as you might think. I was barely able to afford the down payment on this house. I only started working about four or 5 years ago. It takes years to earn the kind of money you were seeing."

 

She took off her glasses and covered her eyes as tears streamed down her face, and Pythor's heart tensed up as he watched her crying. He grabbed a box of tissues and pulled some out.

 

"Salome, please look at me." Pythor said and waited until she did, and gave her the tissues. "You're right when you say that I didn't go to college. I don't know what it's like, everything I know about computer programming, electronics, and engineering is self-taught. The only stuff I know is what I've heard from my brother."

 

Pythor looked down for a second as he gathered his thoughts before he looked back up into her shimmering green eyes.

 

"I'm sure you'll be able to get through this because I know that you are very smart, and you are so passionate about what you do. You really care for animals and the people that care for them, and that's really something to be proud of. I think you're in a really great career, one that will carry you through life. I know you can do this."

 

Pythor smiled and reached up to wipe a tear off of her face and put his hand on her shoulder.

 

"I know you're itching to get back out into the field, but I don't want you to rush yourself and get hurt even more. Please, try and be patient. Let your body heal, and before you know it, you'll be back out there giving horses and gryphons their check-ups."

 

Salome wiped her eyes and looked over at the screen as she put her glasses back on. "You know, we're not even watching the movie anymore, and it's ending."

 

"That doesn't matter right now, you are what matters. I want to help you out any way I can, with anything you need."

 

Salome smiled and scooted over to Pythor as she lifted her arm up and put her hand on his chest, slowly moving it up to his shoulder as she felt the smooth yet slightly grainy scales that lined his body. Taking care to avoid his injured shoulder, she reached up to feel his neck, where the scales were even more smooth as they led up to his head.

 

"You already are, just by being here." She said, her voice as soft as velvet. "Can I have this kiss?"

 

"Yeah." His voice sounded almost hoarse.

 

Pythor felt his heart racing as she trailed her hand up his neck, shivering slightly as she moved along the front and side of it, making tingles run up and down his spine. He had his hand in her hair, gently running his fingers through it and relishing in the softness they had to them.

 

His breathing got faster and more quiet as her hand reached just behind his head, and he put his arm around her neck, gently holding his hand to where it met her shoulders. Their heads got closer and closer together, and they closed their eyes as they sealed the kiss.

 

If it weren't for the couch they were sitting on, Pythor would have melted onto the floor. His entire body felt so warm, from his head, all the way to the tip of his tail. Salome moved her hand to the bottom of his chin, and the scales all along Pythor's body tingled even more.

 

After what felt like hours, they both pulled away, breathing deeply as they looked at each other and smiled.

 

"Wow, that was… that was amazing." Pythor said after several seconds, and continued playing with her hair as she rubbed the scales on his chin.

 

"I'll say, you're a really great kisser. I really loved that."

 

Pythor looked down for a couple seconds and felt his heart start beating faster again when he looked back up at her.

 

"Can we… Can we do that again?"

 

"I'd love to."

 

Could he feel any warmer than he did right now? He pulled himself closer to her as he pressed his mouth to her soft lips. He closed his eyes again and held himself tightly to her, still trying to keep himself from melting.

 

It wasn't made any easier with the feeling of Salome's lips pressed against the smooth scales that lined the edges of his mouth. Salome couldn't keep herself from caressing his head and neck, and he wished he could let her do it all right.

 

They pulled away from each other again, and this time, Pythor was panting slightly as he gazed into her eyes.

 

"Thank you, Salome, that… I wish we could do that all the time."

 

"So do I." She agreed, a little short on breath herself.

 

"My uhhh… my fang didn't get in the way did it?"

 

She giggled and covered her mouth with her hand. "No, silly. It didn't get in the way at all."

 

Pythor sighed and looked at the time on the clock, which was 8:15 pm. "Dammit… I really wish I didn't have to leave right now, but…"

 

"It's alright, I know you have to be home by 9. Don't worry, we'll see each other again."

 

He couldn't help but grin at this as he got up and put on his coat. "Oh? Are we setting up a second date?"

 

"I guess we are." She said as she smiled back and carefully got to her feet and made her way over. "You certainly went above and beyond with this one. Especially with those kisses. I can still feel your scales on my lips, I know I'll never forget that."

 

He leaned forwards and flicked his tongue at her ear. "I can give you a third one, make really sure you won't forget it~"

 

He caught a slight, almost imperceptible shiver from her at his words, and his grin got even bigger as she gently pushed him away.

 

"Unless you want to really stick it to your PO and stay here past your curfew, I suggest you not try it. So, are we going to do another movie and pizza party here?"

 

"Aw, you're worried about me~" He crooned as he put on his clothes. "Nope, next time, I'm going to take you out to dinner. My sister runs a great restaurant in town, and I can't wait for you to try the cooking they have there."

 

"Sounds like fun. When do you want to do it?"

 

"I'm thinking about the 16th or 23rd of next month. I'm trying to set up something with Fangdam though, and I gotta see when that will be. I'll let you know."

 

"Alright, see you later."

 

Pythor slithered over to the front steps with Raven following, and smiled at her. "Before I go, I want to thank you for keeping an open mind about what I suggested.”

 

She smiled too, and the warmth of her smile kept the cold off of him. "Of course, and I want to thank you for being upfront and honest about it. I love you, Pythor."

 

“I love you too. Goodbye, Sally.”

 

He waved goodbye and climbed atop Raven, and they took off back towards Newt's house. As soon as he got there, he slithered inside, grinning all the while.

 

"Well someone sure is happy." Maera noted from the dinner table as Pythor came into the house with a spring in his coils.

 

"Sure am!" He said and plopped back on the couch. "I got a girlfriend, and damn is she perfect.”

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Chapter 11: Bombshells

Summary:

Pythor and his family take a trip to metalonia to visit some ailing relatives, but conflict even manages to find him there when his cousin Skales drops a bombshell on him amongst a torrent of hateful words, and he confronts Arcturus over it. Thankfully, a visit with a certain Merlopian scientist lifts his spirits enough for the trip to end on a happy note.

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[February 6th, 2016 - 8:30 am]

"Alright, got my books, dental stuff, shirts, jackets, chargers, sleeping pills if I need them…" Pythor muttered to himself as he looked over the stuff in his suitcase and bags. "Alright, that's everything."

Pythor slung the bags around his neck and wheeled his suitcase out of the treehouse and out front, then peeked his head inside. "Hey dad? I got everything packed up. Is it cool if I practice my imagination out front?"

"You sure you got everything?" He asked as he ate his sausage and eggs.

"Yeah, I made a list last night and checked everything on it twice. I got everything."

"Go ahead then."

Pythor grinned and slithered outside into the snow to start practicing. Once he had slithered outside into the snow, he smiled and put his hand in it as it became wrapped in a rainbow light. Energy raced across the snow as the water in it turned into a giant dragon.

"Have you ever thought about joining an ice sculpting tournament?" Pythor turned around and saw Canicula standing with a grin on her face. "Nah, I just thought doing this would be cool. Besides, I don't know if my elemental powers would make it fair. How are you doing this morning?"

"Better now that we finally got the kids out of the house. Can't believe how long it took them to get ready. Jule and I told them to make sure they had everything packed up last night."

"Well, at least you're here now. I'm just trying to get some quick practice in before we head to the airport. Still not looking forward to the flight though. You're probably going to have to cast a sleeping spell on me."

"You're still afraid of the ocean?"

"Yeah. Ever since Nadakhan attacked that ship I was on 200 years ago, I haven't even been able to look at lakes, oceans, or big rivers. Even some swimming pools freak me out."

"I'm sorry, I had no idea it was so bad for you. Why didn't you tell us?"

"It would take at least two or three days to get to Metalonia by train. If Rune really is dying, she could be dead before we're even halfway there. We can get there in 5 or 6 hours by flying."

Canicula stayed silent as she kept her hand on his shoulder.

"I haven't seen her in 80 years. I'm not going to miss her now."

They heard wingbeats and looked up to see a car pulling up in front of the house. Lloyd hopped out of the driver’s seat, and Pythor came over to him as Wisp, Jay, and who he presumed to be Gale got out.

"Lloyd? What are you doing here?" Pythor asked and looked over to see Jay coming over. "And you too, Jay?"

"I told you I would be coming over. Remember? I texted you last night? I also sent you one this morning."

Pythor paused for a second and facepalmed. "Oh yeah, sorry, I had a lot on my mind and forgot you were coming. My phone's still plugged into the charger too."

"Yeah, we wanted to come and give you a card that we got for… Rune, was it?"

"Yeah, and… um… 'we'?"

"Oh yeah, I decided to come too. I talked with my parents recently, and they told me about their conversation with you and how you were sorry for hurting them and me. Is that true?"

"Yeah, I really am sorry, Jay."

"Well, they're proud of you for saying that, and so am I. That's why I signed the card along with Sensei Wu, Nya, and Misako."

Pythor smiled at that and nodded his appreciation as Canicula slithered over to Jay.

"Hello, I think this is the first time I've ever met you. I didn't realize you were a fangpyre though."

"Well, I wasn't born like this. I got bit and this ended up happening. We tried to reverse it, but it turns out raising your heart rate only spreads the venom faster. But, hey! I'm not complaining. I actually love being a fangpyre now.”

Pythor made his way over to Wisp as he let Lloyd, Jay, and Canicula talk on their own. Wisp was smiling as he saw Pythor coming over and held his arms out for a hug, which Pythor happily gave.

"Hello, Pythor. It's been a while." He said, and growled softly as Pythor rubbed the scales on his snout and hugged him tightly. "Missed me huh?"

"Definitely, you and the others. You and Flare also taught me how to fly. Of course, I hate that I can't do that now, though. Well, maybe not Fria, even though I wish I could talk with her."

"It's probably best that you don't. She is still very angry at you, Flare too."

"Yeah, I guess." He looked down at the ground. "I… heard what happened a little over a month ago. I'm so sorry."

Wisp's face fell and he started kicking at the snow. "I don't want to talk about that."

"I understand. I felt it though. I saw it.”

“You… you what?” His eyes widened.

“I had a dream. I saw Shear, heard what he said. And I felt… Wisp… I know, and… I'm sorry.”

Wisp whimpered and looked down again. “I'm… I did… so much. I hurt… killed… so many.”

Pythor carefully took Wisp’s hands into his own. “So did I. I know how it feels.” He hugged him even tighter, and Wisp pressed a hand to his back.

He let go of Wisp once the dragon released him and went over to Gale, trying not to look at her slightly rounded belly. "Hey. This might be a dumb question but… how are you holding up?"

“I'm… managing. You should really spare a thought for Terra. It really upset her to not be able to make it here, but her doctor thought it wouldn't be safe to travel here in her current state.”

“She's pregnant, isn't she?” He asked, and chuckled when Gale nodded. “That's what I figured.”

Wisp quickly stepped over. “Wait, you knew?”

“Come on, buddy. I'm not an idiot.” He patted him on the back. “I know that fucking a dragon in heat practically guarantees eggs. Besides, I was the first one to do it, and I came in her several times over a week.”

“I didn't want to tell you because I thought you already had enough to worry about with your injury and your release from custody. I had this gut feeling you wouldn't have wanted to know about that. I hated it, but…”

“Honestly, I think you were right. December and early January were rough times for me. Knowing I had kids probably would have stressed me out even more, but… at the same time, or at least now, I am happy to know.”

“To be honest, we didn't know if any of them were yours until around Winterveil when Terra was finally able to undergo prenatal oviparous genome sequencing. None of the eggs are Crest's, something he's very relieved about.” Gale said.

“Speaking of eggs, are you keeping yours? If you don't mind me asking.”

“I think I will. I don't want these eggs to be lost because of Shear. They deserve to have a happy upbringing.” Gale said. "We received the nesting material you sent. I can't tell you how much that means to me that you were willing to get that for us. And the words you sent with it… thank you."

“We… weren't sure how we were going to handle the situation. Still aren't, I'm afraid.” Wisp sighed, looking down at the ground for a moment. “But, it really means a lot to have your support.”

“Agreed. We'll figure something out.” Gale said, and put an arm around Wisp's shoulder.

“Pythor!” Newt yelled. “Grab your stuff. It's time to go, we have to get to the airport.”

“Dammit, I wish we could talk more and that I could figure out some more ways to help you.”

“You've already helped us enough.” Lloyd said, coming over to pat Pythor on the back. “Save some of that care for your own family, especially if they aren't doing as good as you say.”

“He's right, we have plenty of funds to take care of our dragons.” Jay added. “I mean, we have enough to maintain our vehicles since no insurance agency will touch them. Sensei Wu forbids us from even using the I-word at the monastery.”

“Alright, I'll try to focus. I better go before my family yells at me again. Have fun in town!”

“I hope your family gets better soon!”

"Thanks, I'll see you later!" Pythor said and waved goodbye before he hurried back inside. He grabbed the rest of his stuff and brought it outside to cram it into the back of the car. “By the way! Wisp, I got a girlfriend now, but tell Terra I want to talk with her! We need to work things out between the four of us!”

Wisp gave a thumbs up as Pythor jumped into the side of the car.

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"It's just a plane… you'll be alright… don't look outside." Pythor whispered to himself as he sat coiled tightly up in the airplane seat, desperately trying to avoid looking out any of the windows on the plane.

"Dad? Why is uncle Pythor still talking to himself?"

"He's scared, Sakuzei. He doesn't like the ocean." Jule explained, then looked over at Pythor. "It will be okay, we're only 20 minutes away from the airport."

"Twenty minutes too far." He muttered and held himself tightly as he kept shaking.

Not long after, he felt the plane touchdown on the tarmac, and slumped back into his seat as he let out an enormous sigh of relief.

"Oh thank goodness… finally. We're finally on the ground."

"Maybe we can talk with someone to help you through that, Pythor." Maera said as the flight attendants helped them out of the plane.

"Maybe…" Pythor muttered, not wanting to think about the subject any longer.

They soon disembarked the plane and slithered into the gate, where Canicula and Jule did another a headcount and made sure they had all of their kids. Once they did, they went to the baggage claim, where they heard a voice calling them.

"Hey! Pythor! Arcturus!" They heard a voice call, and turned to see an anacondrai and a dark human coming up.

"Hey, Violet!" Pythor grinned and slithered over to meet her and gave her a hug, then turned to the man and the two kids with her. "And who are you?"

"I'm Drake, and these are our two daughters, Velma and Blair." He said, and shook Pythor's hand, as did his daughters.

"You look really pretty. How old are you two?"

"I'm 38." Blake said.

"I'm 40." Velma added, and Pythor found himself becoming endeared by their personalities.

"It's so nice to see you again. You've gotten so big." Pythor said and hugged her again. "I missed my cousin."

"So did I. It's nice to see you, Pythor."

"How is Rune doing?" Newt asked as he came up, drawing a sigh from Violet.

"She's not doing too good. She hasn't gotten any worse, but she hasn't gotten better. The people here are doing all they can."

"Can we go see her?" Arcturus asked as he nervously held his hands together.

"Of course, but first I think we should drop your things off at the hotel, that way we don't have to leave things out in the car. She's still hanging in there." Drake said.

"Alright, let's hurry though." Arcturus said, and they made their way out to the rental cars.

A little while later, they pulled up to a small hospital and went inside.

"It's probably going to be a bit crowded in there with all of our tails taking up space, so maybe we should limit it to three or four visitors at a time. Who's going to go in first?" Violet said.

"Can I please go in first?" Pythor asked as he looked at Arcturus and Maera, who nodded.

"Sure, mind if we go in with you?" Maera asked, and he nodded as well.

"We can go in with the kids once you're done there." Newt said and smiled.

"Thanks, Newt." Pythor said and slithered inside to see an elderly hypnobrai lying in a bed, with another sitting next to her. "Hello Rune, hello Hex."

It was then that Pythor saw who else was sitting in the room right next to him. And he reflexively bowed to him.

"H-hello… Skales. Er… um… K-King Skales."

The serpentine king simply stared at him with his arms crossed for several seconds before finally deciding to respond. "Hello, Pythor."

The contempt dripping from Skales's voice made Pythor slither back a meter and scratch his head as he tried to figure out how to respond to that.

"Ummm… I see you got the message too."

"Well, Rune is my great-great-grandmother, so of course I'll be here for her."

Pythor cringed again at his tone and turned to Rune. "Hey, Rune. How are you doing?"

"Never better." She said with a smile behind the nasal mask she was wearing.

"She's still not eating." Hex said and Rune flicked her wrist at him.

"Quiet, you don't need to tell him that." She hissed and turned to look back at him. "You've gotten so much bigger since the last time I saw you, and you changed your scale color."

"Not by choice." He chuckled and reached out to hold her hand. "A lot has happened since we last saw each other."

"That's putting it mildly." Skales said, and Pythor hissed as he squeezed Rune's hand a little tightly.

"Sorry." He whispered as he realized what he was doing.

"Skales, stop." Arcturus warned as he looked down at Skales. "I know that you and my son have your problems with each other, but we are not here to fight with each other."

Skales didn't offer any response, he just sighed and rolled his eyes before he pulled out his phone.

"I'm not ready to lose you, Rune. It's been 80 years since we last saw each other. I want to see you more, I want to hear more stories from your time period. There's so much I still don't know about you."

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. Is there anything you want to know off-hand?" Rune asked.

“Well, I'm trying to figure out who I am now, and I'd like to know more about where I came from. Our family has always had a long lifespan and been able to transform into dragons or other creatures, and we don't need magic to do so. Do you know where that came from?”

“Oh, that's easy. They came from our father, Wu.” Silence passed for almost a minute before she spoke up. “You didn't know that?”

“NO!” Pythor half-yelled and threw his arm up. “Why-How would I know that I was related to the ninja's sensei? Oh my god… I tried to kill another one of my cousins.”

“Sorry.” Rune shrugged. “We thought we told you all.”

“I think I would have remembered something like that.” Arcturus crossed his arms. “Then again we only saw you two or three times a year.”

“Plus it isn't something that would come up in regular conversation.” Skales added. “Damn though, this is quite a shock for me. How do you know for sure?”

“He told King Mambo and his family in a… farewell letter. He said that Aspheera and Wu had gotten close after she let him and his brother out in exchange for teaching her how to protect herself. They fell in love and had us, but she didn't tell Wu or his family because serpentine and human relationships were taboo at the time. That, and they were both teenagers for their species. She was afraid and didn't know how to handle the situation.”

“Did she ever tell them? Lloyd never mentioned having serpentine family.”

Hex sighed. “She never got the chance. She was imprisoned for starting a war between humans and serpentine after she attacked a village for revenge. Char said she entrusted her children to him, and he raised us for a few years but… he loved Aspheera, and he couldn't convince anyone to give her another chance. He… couldn't bear to be separated from her and poisoned himself.”

“Oh my god… I'm sorry you two had to go through that.” Arcturus said and put a hand on Hex's shoulder.

“Honestly, we can't even really remember him. Given how we age, we just have vague images or brief snips of memory. But, still, knowing that is rough even now.” Hex said.

“I understand. Thanks for telling me. Could I tell Lloyd about this? I feel like he should know that we're relatives.” Pythor asked, and they nodded.

"How have you been doing Arcturus?" Hex asked.

"Huh?"

"It's been a while since we've seen you. We missed our little mudball."

Pythor snickered at the nickname as Arcturus pouted. He noticed Skales getting up and leaving, and whispered to Maera that he would be heading out for a second.

"S-King Skales!" Pythor called as soon as he caught up to the hypnobrai outside of the hospital. He tensed up when he saw Skales's shoulders and head slump.

He muttered something to Selma and his son before he turned around as they slithered off.

"What do you want?"

He froze at the venom-laden tone and fidgeted for several seconds before he found his voice again. "To-to a-a-apologize for-"

"Save it. I don't want your apology. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can ever change how me or my family feels about you."

"But… I really am-"

"You still don't listen do you? I'm not your friend, I'm not your second-in-command, I am your KING; and when I tell you to shut your fucking mouth, you shut your fucking mouth!"

Pythor froze completely as Skales slithered closer to Pythor, almost coming up to his chest. Despite being half a head taller than the king at the shoulders, Pythor still felt incredibly small compared to him.

"My sister is still heartbroken over how she can't see the child that she wanted for so long. You, you took her sight from her. I don't care about you coming after me, I care about you hurting my baby sister."

Skales narrowed his eyes and poked Pythor in the chest as he laced every word with venom.

"Mark my words and listen well you piece of shit. If it weren't for Arcturus, I'd have had your head on the guillotine. He vouched for you, said you were a good person, even after I told him about all of the shit you've done; but to me, you're still the same bastard you always were."

Pythor backed away from the king, shaking at the harsh words that were leaving his mouth and wanting nothing more than to rewrite history.

"Just remember, whatever shit you do, he's going down for it too since he's the reason you're out."

"What?" Pythor gasped.

"Goodbye, Pythor." Skales hissed and slithered away, pausing briefly to look back at him. "Tsk… I wish you had just died in the stomach of the devourer. Go jump off a cliff or something."

Pythor felt like a huge weight had fallen on him, and fell back onto the wet asphalt under the awning as Skales slithered off, and he curled himself up as he cried into his scales.

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[The next day, 10:30 am]

"Well, good news, Rune had a bowel movement earlier this morning. The doctors said she's eating again." Arcturus said as he looked at his phone.

"That's a relief." Pythor sighed as he checked his gps monitor to see if it was fully charged yet. "So, what are we going to do now? I'm not supposed to be back home until the night after tomorrow."

"I thought you said they gave you three days?" Maera asked.

"They did, that's including travel time. The first day was yesterday. I hope our flight back doesn't get delayed, or canceled. I asked for more just in case, but they said I should be lucky I got that much."

"Those people are really starting to piss me off." Arcturus hissed. "It's bad enough that they've already forced us to dish out over $700 to pay for that gps monitor you have."

"I don't know what else we can do other than pay it until Pythor is taken off of probation. At least it's only for two years."

"Yeah, except we'll probably go broke before then."

"Look, Alexis is paying me well. Sooner or later I'll be able to start paying for this myself. Even better, as soon as I'm cleared for a prosthetic arm, I'll be able to do even more work."

"Are you sure you'll even be able to? A prosthetic arm isn't exactly a real one with tendons and muscles. I don't know how much upkeep and maintenance a prosthetic arm would require.”

Pythor shot upright and glared at him. "Oh well excuse me! I didn't realize I had the option of choosing an arm made of bones and blood instead of titanium and silicone. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"It slipped my mind, Pythor, I'm sorry. You don't need to get so upset."

"Why shouldn't I? I think I have a right to be when Skales is using you as leverage against me!"

"What do you mean? It's not like Skales is holding Arcturus hostage." Maera wondered.

"Oh ho ho, yes he is." He said as he unplugged the charger and turned towards Arcturus with a grin. "He told me last night that you'll be given whatever punishment I am for any crimes I commit."

Arcturus's eyes widened as he shrunk back into the bed and looked over at Maera, and Pythor turned to look over at her too.

"Yeah, you knew didn't you, mum?"

"We didn't want you to worry about it. We had faith you wouldn't do anything illegal, so we didn't think there was any need for you to know."

"What, so now you choose what I can and can't worry about? This is my responsibility! I have a right to know!" He yelled as he slammed his hand into the chair, knocking it and a lamp over.

"Pythor, watch the volume! There are other people in this hotel! Maera is your mother, she can choose what she tells you. And if you break anything, you're going to be the one who pays for it!"

"'That's what you're worried about?! Skales is slithering way out of line! If I hit someone or accidentally vandalize a property, fine, that's on me. But he has no, absolutely NO FUCKING RIGHT to hold you against me! There's no conspiracy here! You were his king, and this is how he treats you?!"

"I don't care about that! I was talking with him for over two hours trying to convince him to let you live in Arasi no Tsuno, and it took him a day before he finally agreed to. I don't care if he wants to hang us both out to dry."

"I do! Why can't you see that?! Have you gone senile?!"

"Watch your damn mouth, Pythor."

Pythor yelled and grabbed his stuff and stormed out the door, ignoring the questions on where he was going. He slithered outside and sat down on a rocking chair, putting a hand on his head as it started to pound. He reached into his bag and pulled out a cigarette. As soon as he lit it and took a drag, he sighed and felt his heart settle down.

"You really need to start getting a hold of yourself, son."

He glanced up at her, still keeping his head in his hands. "Mum, I'm getting a headache. Please leave me alone."

"I can't. We just had a member of the hotel staff come to us because of a noise complaint from a couple of rooms." He let out a deep sigh at that. "If you act out like that again, we may have to find another place to stay tonight."

"Tell dad to stop making comments about my missing arm then."

"Pythor, it was a slip of the tongue, he's not doing that on purpose. We're both still getting used to what happened to you. We're just worried." She crossed her arms. “And he does have a point about prosthetics. They are expensive, and we don't know what kind you'll be able to get. Your father doesn't want you to get one kind only to find out it has some drawbacks you didn't know about.”

Pythor let his arm slip down and looked at the concrete beneath him, and blew a cloud of smoke out.

"I don't know why you're getting so angry at things now. I don't remember you being like this before. Lately, it seems like you want nothing to do with us for a day or days at a time, then you call us and want to watch a movie, and after that you go back to being upset."

"I don't know either, mum…" He sighed. "Oftentimes, I don't feel like myself, and I'm not talking about having my destiny written by someone else. I don't know how I see myself when I look in the mirror, and I just… I don't know, I feel like I'm always on the fence with my emotions. Either I'm really happy, really mad, or just… empty."

"I wish I knew what to say."

"Don't worry, I doubt even mothers can know everything." He said and gave a small smile, which she returned as she rubbed his shoulders.

"Hey, it's our job to know everything."

"I think I'm going to head out for a bit and explore the town some." Pythor said as he started to get up. "I'll see you later."

"You sure you won't get lost?"

"Yeah, I picked up a map of the city earlier."

"Alright, see you later. Stay safe okay?"

He nodded and slithered off towards the street.

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"Ugh… why does this place have to be so close to the ocean?"

He shuddered as he turned to look over at the rocky shore, and noticed himself starting to breathe faster. In addition, he began to cough violently from the irritation to his lungs from earlier. It felt like the ocean was getting closer and closer, and in a moment of panic, he turned and immediately smacked his snout directly into the bricks lining the building behind him.

"Owwwww… ugh… man…" He groaned and rubbed his nose before feeling his fangs to see if they were cracked, which thankfully they weren't. His previously broken fang was well on its way to regrowing, he didn't want to lose it already.

"Pardon me, sir, but are you alright?"

Pythor opened his eyes and noticed a blue and dark gray scaled individual peeking his head out the door.

"Yeah, I'm fine, my nose is a little sore though. Could I come in?'

"Oh, of course, of course. Forgive me, I didn't mean to impede you." He said as he stepped aside.

It was then that Pythor noticed just what his legs looked like. He had six of them, and they didn't match the rest of his body, instead, they almost looked like the limbs of an octopus.

He realized he was staring, and that he had been noticed doing so, and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to stare, that was very rude of me."

"Oh no, no need to apologize, I'm used to it… mostly… kind of." They said and twiddled their fingers as they looked at the floor.

"I'm certainly not. People won't stop looking at me." He said as he looked at him while he twiddled his fingers more, and he noticed that their left arm was mechanical. "Say uhhhh… you… you wouldn't happen to be Eratos… would you?"

They blinked and scratched their head. "You've heard of me?"

"Oh yeah, my physical therapist, Grippe, said that you really helped him out. He said that you even made him his tail."

Eratos grinned and held his hands together. "Ah, yes, yes, Grippe is a good friend of mine, or at least acquaintance, one that I wish I could see more. Yes, I made him his tail, quite a feat of engineering I must say; took me quite some time to study serpentine movements to make one that functioned normally."

Pythor smiled at how Eratos held himself, and found his energy infectious. He seemed to keep himself in good spirits, and could see how he had made such an impression on Grippe.

His thoughts were interrupted by his stomach growling, and he chuckled at the embarrassment.

"Are you hungry? I can get us some lunch if you would like."

"Oh, you don't have to." Pythor tried to say, but Eratos just smiled.

"No, no, no, it's quite alright. I'm hungry myself, plus eating will give us more time to talk."

"With our mouths full?" Pythor asked as he tilted his head and smiled himself. "But okay, thanks. Can we sit away from the windows though?"

Eratos scratched his head and looked over at the windows. "Sure, sure, but how come?"

"I… really don't like the ocean, like, really don't like it. Or lakes, or big rivers, or pools."

"Ohhh, thalassophobia, yes, yes, I see. It's no problem. Let's go get some food."

After a short wait, Pythor pressed himself into a booth while Eratos folded his back legs as he sat down. Eratos took a few bites of the fileted Salmon that he had ordered before he started the conversation back up again.

"How come you're afraid of the ocean? If you don't mind me asking. It's really quite beautiful and serene if you ask me. My home, Merlopia, sits in a really nice part of it."

Pythor stopped eating his chicken breast and looked down at the table. "I'm sure it is, but it hasn't been in my experience. I was on a ship once hundreds of years ago, and this pirate named Nadakhan and his crew attacked us, hoping to steal the treasure we had. I was only a child when that happened, and the constant cannon and musket fire, yelling, and torrential rains terrified me. When my Uncle Arcturus found me, I was inconsolable. My father told me to quit being such a baby."

"Ugh, I know what that's like." Eratos groaned as he shook his head. "But yes, I do suppose that would terrify someone."

"Yeah, now I freak out in thunderstorms, around loud noises, large bodies of water, it's really quite embarrassing. I'm over 300 years old. I should have grown past it."

"No, no, nonsense, it's understandable why you'd be afraid of such things. You had a traumatic experience as a young individual and it left an impression upon your mind."

Pythor chuckled as he used his telekinesis to grab some ketchup from a nearby table. "You make things sound so technical."

"Well, I am a scientist and engineer back where I come from." He said as he pulled a magnifying glass over one of his eyes. "How did you do that by the way? Electromagnetic fields? Anti-gravity?"

"No, magic, I can use it."

"Ah, I see. I tend to look past magic, I believe there is some sort of explanation for it that we are not yet aware of. I like to analyze things and work to understand them."

“You can't use it, can you?”

Eratos opened his mouth and then deflated. “No, I can't.”

Pythor just chuckled and went back to eating his food after using more magic to heat it up some more. He smiled as he finished it up shortly after and leaned back against the seat.

"You know, I've been pretty stressed out lately, and it's been a while since I've met someone as kind and smart as you. So often, people don't want to spend time around me, and it's honestly really refreshing to meet someone so nice."

"Thanks, I appreciate that. I don't come to the surface all that often, so when I do, it's nice to meet people like you."

Pythor looked out the window at the street for a few moments, trying to figure out how to phrase what he wanted to say next.

"If you don't mind me asking, where did you get your legs and your arm?"

Eratos blinked and leaned back against the seat as he put his hands together and looked down at them.

"Yeah, I-I don't feel comfortable answering that. It's not something I like to think about."

"Oh, okay. They just look so advanced and unique. I've never seen anything like them before. I'm hoping I can get an arm like you have, or at least something like it."

"Oh, you're asking where I got them?" Eratos asked, and Pythor nodded. "Oh, I thought you were wanting to know how I got them, like how I lost my limbs. I designed and made these myself."

"That's really impressive." Pythor said and sighed as he looked at his right arm stump. "It's… it's been so hard trying to adjust to things without my dominant arm. I've had to learn to do things with my left hand, and it's not easy. People still give me looks of pity, and quite frankly, I'm getting tired of it."

Eratos looked down at his arm again and then over at Pythor's missing arm. "Hmmm… I suppose I could make you one."

Pythor was drinking some water and almost choked when he heard that. "You-you could?"

"Yeah, I can design and build one for you."

Pythor smiled as tears started to stream down his scales, although he was quick to wipe them away, and looked towards the lobby to see if anyone saw.

"Thank you, really."

Eratos smiled and nodded, and looked at some more people coming into the restaurant. "Come on, we can talk about it some more outside, and away from the ocean. That way we're not holding up a table."

Pythor agreed and got up, stopping to put some money in the tip jar before he left with Eratos to walk up the city street. Eratos pulled out a kind of notepad and started writing stuff down on it.

"So, what would you like to have in this arm? I'd like to know what I'm going to make and what kinds of materials I might need for it."

"Well, digging is something I haven't been able to do for a while with only one arm, at least not easily, so I'm hoping it will be strong enough for that."

"I see. Yes. So, just to make sure, you're wanting to have full, independent motor control in this arm? Elbow movements, 270° wrist rotation, independent finger movements?"

"Yes, is that too much to ask for?"

"Well, I got some rough news for you then." Eratos said as he looked over at Pythor, his features slightly grim. "It's going to hurt."

"Huh? Why?"

"The kind of arm that you're asking for, and that I have, it's going to need to connect directly to your nerves. It's not like those kinds where it's a cuff that attaches to your remaining arm and acts via the electrical signals from the contraction of your muscles."

"What are you saying? I mean, I think I get the gist of it, but if it's not going to be a suction cuff, how will it be attached to me?"

"You're going to need to have more of your arm removed."

Pythor stopped as he felt his stomach drop and his heart skip a beat as those words sunk in. He looked at what was left of his arm. It had been cut off just past his elbow and the surgeons in Ninjago City had removed more just to tie off arteries and veins.

"How much more?"

"Hopefully not very much, we'd try to remove as little as possible." Eratos said as he stepped closer and pulled the magnifying glass over his eye. "It looks like you still have a good amount of your upper arm left. I don't think we'd have to cut into your shoulder to attach the base, we may even be able to keep your arm at the same length that it is now."

"Base?"

"Yes." He said and stepped back and pointed to where his arm met his shoulder. "You see this part right here? This is attached to my body, not to my arm. This is where the nerves from my body interact with the electrical circuits in the arm. My legs work in a similar way."

"So, I'll need to have surgery to get my arm attached?"

"Yes, which is why I'd like to get your contact information, that way we can communicate further."

"That's good, I live in Smooth Stone in western Ninjago, so we're pretty far apart." Pythor agreed and put his contact information in the device Eratos handed him as well as other health information. "Don't worry, I'll figure out a way to pay for it."

"Oh, I don't know if I could charge you for this." Eratos said as he took back the tablet.

"What? But the materials for this have to be a lot, if the metals you use are any indication, this is a very large undertaking for you. It's probably very expensive as well. Please, it doesn't have to be money, but I don't feel comfortable just taking this without giving you something in exchange."

Eratos blinked and stood there in silence for a few seconds before he finally spoke. "Wow. Well, I can't think of anything I need right now, but I can ask around when I get back home and see what I or anyone else does."

"Hey, thanks for doing this, really. I can't tell you how much this means to me."

Eratos smiled and shook the hand that Pythor offered him. "I'm glad I can help. I should get going so that I can get started on this right away, but I look forward to being in contact with you."

"'Right away'? Oh thank you, thank you. Yeah, I should get going too. I got a train ride that I need to be on soon. Goodbye, Eratos."

"Goodbye, Pythor." Eratos said and waved before the two walked away.

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[Later that day]

“I sure hope we're not wasting the last evening of our time here, Pythor.” Arcturus said as he drove towards the train station.

Pythor stopped checking his dress clothes to open his mouth, but Maera leapt to his defense. “I don't think a train ride with the governor of Dragonia and an elemental master would be a waste of time. Pythor told us about this before we left, and while it is abrupt, I think it will be interesting.”

“Plus the kids get to go on a train, and I know how much they love them.” Newt added, smiling at Pythor.

He smiled back, his heart fluttering at how his mother and brother were sticking up for him. They pulled to a stop in a parking space, and the vehicles carrying the rest of their family went off to find other spots. Everyone got out, and as soon as they got inside the train station, they saw a humanoid dragon holding a sign with their family names on it.

“They're really pulling out the stops for us, huh?” Drake asked as the dragon led them down the platform towards where a security detail was present.

“Yeah, I can't wait to meet them.” Pythor said, and he wouldn't have to wait much longer, as seated inside was the governor, his wife, Karlof, and Ross.

“Hello, Pythor! It is pleasure to finally meet you!” Karlof said, jumping to his feet before the governor could. “Name is Karlof, fellow war combatant. This is friend, Ross, director of Metalonian environmental reforms.”

“Environmental reforms, huh?” Pythor asked, smiling and shaking their hands.

“Yes, it's something that I am very passionate about.” Ross said. “Metalonian mining operations under the Ninjago military occupation had severely hurt our waterways and forests. Thankfully, Eratos Catasteri has been very helpful in our efforts to develop filtration and remediation technology.”

“Hey! What a coincidence, I just met him earlier today, and he promised to make me a prosthetic arm that I'll be able to control. Free of charge. He's a really nice guy.”

“Wait, really? That's great news!” Canicula said.

“Yeah, although, I wouldn't exactly call myself a veteran of the second serpentine war. I hardly did anything in it besides helping Lloyd.”

“But you are still veteran of first serpentine war! Heroic tales of your defense of Myonlac under three-month-long siege by Ninjago are still told by hundreds of refugees you evacuated!”

“Well, I guess, but… I don't like thinking of that time. When the city was attacked, there was a lot of artillery and bombs falling. Let's just say having a fear of loud noises doesn't go well with that.”

“Karlof understands. Karlof just happy to meet hero who has not been given hero's welcome, and thank Pythor for his service.”

“Well, I appreciate it. Thank you a lot, really. You are a really nice person, and I'm glad we'll get to spend this time together.”

Karlof nodded, and Pythor slithered away from the crowd to make more room by the entrance. He went over to where he saw the governor and his wife sitting. “Hello, I think I saw you preparing to get up, but Karlof came over. I'm Pythor Acryla. It's a pleasure to meet you Governor Waals and Mrs. Waals.”

They got up and shook his hand. “You can just call me Elmo. I feel like informal touches can help people get along better.”

“I feel the same. You can call me Alya.” His wife said. “The pleasure is all ours. My brother-in-law has said a great deal about you.”

He gulped. “Ummm… exactly how much has he said about me?”

“He said that you, he, and Terra became quite close during your time at the monastery.” Elmo chuckled, winking at Pythor. “He was quite happy to have you be a part of their family, as did Terra. Her sister is even here working as a cook for us.”

“Yup, once we get underway, I'll be happy to cook you up some meals.” A dragon off to the side said.

“Thanks, I'll probably be first in line.” He told her, then turned back to the other two. “I've always wanted to visit here, especially the spirit coves, and it's even more beautiful than I could have imagined.”

“Thank you. We've worked hard to rebuild it after our last war several years ago, but we're finally independent now, and we're going to make this an even better place for everyone to live.” Alya said.

“I'm sure you will. Wisp also told me about you two during our time together. He practically idolizes you two, and I can certainly see why. I mean, you brought three private cars together on extremely short notice just for us.”

Elmo chuckled and twiddled his fingers together as he avoided eye-contact. “W-Well, I figured it would be a nice distraction from the stresses of a family emergency, especially since that emergency has been averted, and this is your last day here.”

“And that is why I married him.” Alya said, pulling him into a hug and kissing his cheek, making him even more flustered. He quickly composed himself when he saw Arcturus coming over though.

“Hello, Alya, it is nice to see you again.”

“As it is you. I'm pleased to see that you are safe and sound. I was deeply saddened to hear of your banishment.”

“Well, we have Pythor here to thank for my return.” He said, patting him on the shoulder.

“It wasn’t without its costs, though.” He sighed. “How do you know Alya though, dad?”

“Well, you might actually know her as Firstbourne, or the dragon queen.” He chuckled.

“Oh, that's you?” Pythor asked. “Gōitsu told me about you when I saw him after I… well, he said I got my power from you. Apparently I'm your descendent.”

“Er-We think.” Arcturus corrected. “We just spoke with our elderly relatives in the hospital yesterday, and they told us that Wu is their father. Although, we would like to get a genealogy test to confirm it.”

“Yeah, I'm sorry. I was just so excited at the idea of having more family, and actually being related to dragons that I guess I jumped the gun.”

“I understand. I think it is better to wait, just to be sure. And even if I am your ancestor, the generational difference would probably be so great that we're probably hardly related.” She said, but smiled anyways. “That doesn't mean we can’t be friends though.”

“Yeah, that would be nice.”

[][][][][]

The train started to move shortly thereafter, and Pythor was indeed the first person in line. As soon as he had placed his order, he went to the dining car and sat down in one of the long cushioned seats along the edge.

He looked out the window and smiled at the rolling forested hills he saw, all covered in a sparkling blanket of snow. He'd seen images like this hundreds of times on calendars, cards, paintings, but none of it was like the real thing. Salome lived in a landscape like this, despite her relatively close proximity to Smooth Stone, a testament to Skales's land management strategy.

“Go jump off a cliff or something.”

He sighed. Skales's words still bounced around inside his head. He… he had told him to kill himself, not even three months after he had already died. Did he know that he had given his life to save Lloyd's? Did he even care? What was he going to do if people didn't care what he did in the future, if they couldn't take their eyes off the past?

“Pythor?” He jumped in the seat, and looked up to see Terra's sister standing in front of him and holding a tray of food. “Your food is done. Grilled chicken sandwich, house salad, and macaroni and cheese.”

“Thanks, Gaia, I appreciate it. I hope this wasn't too much to ask.”

“Not at all, I'm happy to provide anything you need.” She said and gave a short nod before heading out.

“Are you okay, Pythor?” Canicula asked, sitting down next to him, with Jule and their children doing the same in the seats in front of them. “You've been kind of… jumpy since yesterday evening.”

“Yeah, I'm fine, just have a lot on my mind.” He said. "It sure has been a while since we've hung out with each other like this, huh, Cani?"

"Yeah, I really wish we could do it more, but managing the Smooth Stone Bar and Grille has taken up so much of my time." She sighed and looked out the window. "After all this time apart, I feel like I should be spending more time with you, or at least talk with you more often."

"Hey, what you've done lately is enough, you have your own restaurant to manage, and you're raising three children. That stuff is more important, your children especially so. I mean, look at them."

Chiharu, Aruno, and Sakuzei were all asking their father one question after another about the train and how it worked. Listening to them made Pythor smile as he remembered Cinder and Indigo doing the same thing with him and Xiuh.

"Besides," He continued. "I'd probably end up wanting to spend all freaking day with you, and you'd probably end up getting annoyed by it. You remember what happened between me and dad around New Year's right?"

He looked down at the food and flicked his tongue out to pick up its scent. Damn she was good at cooking. To think that Terra and Wisp had put this all together for him and his family, most of whom they didn't even know.

He definitely owed them, and had to give them his thanks. In fact, as soon as he was finished, he excused himself and went to the bar car while everyone else was eating and pressed Terra's contact number, grateful to Lloyd for giving it to him. She answered on the second ring.

“Hey, Frosty, it's so good to hear from you. Is your family okay?”

“Yeah, they're doing great now. Say, do you mind if I make this a video call? I'd like to see you while we talk.”

“Of course, let me make the switch.” She said, and he accepted the request. “It's so good to see you again.”

“And you, too, Terra.” He said, smiling as he looked at her scaled face. “You look so beautiful today.”

“Thanks. How is your trip going?”

“It's going great, thanks to you. We figured that since the probation office gave us three days, we might as well make the most of the second one before we head back.”

“Glad to hear it. I remembered how much you loved trains, so Wisp and I figured this would be great for you.”

“Yeah, Elmo, his wife, and their children are as sweet as you can imagine. Your sister is a really great chef, by the way. She really wanted to make sure I was happy.”

“Yeah, Gaia has always looked out for me and my big brother. Funnily enough she's actually my younger sister, but she loved being involved in the family.”

“Sounds like my brother Newt. He practically buried himself in medical books because he loved learning how bodies repaired themselves, got sick, and how they worked, all because of the care Canicula and my mum gave everyone while they were hiding.” He said, and suddenly perked up. “Hey, I wanted to tell you, I met a nice girl here, and we love each other, just like I do with you and Wisp.”

“Oh, did you tell her about me?”

“Yes, in fact, it was the first thing I brought up. I didn't want to surprise her with ‘Hey, I love someone else and likely have kids with them’ after watching a movie with her.”

“That was a good idea. I guess it went well?”

“Definitely, she's… admittedly hesitant about sharing me with you and Wisp, but only because it isn't a common thing. She's keeping an open mind about it, and is willing to give it a shot. Are you?”

“Of course, I'm already sharing you with Wisp, but I really appreciate you being open and honest about it. Maybe we can meet each other soon?” He nodded, and she smiled. “So, you figured out that I'm pregnant, huh?”

“Yeah, I know how bodies work. Wisp explained why I wasn't told. I was a little hurt, still am, but… I understand why. It would have been a lot to deal with then, and I'm sure it still will be, but I'd rather not miss the laying and hatching of my children.”

“I'm glad you feel that way. I really miss you, you know?”

“I do too, and I wish you were here. I mean, look at these beautiful views!” He pulled the phone away from his face and showed the snowy mountains behind him. “I think you'd love this.”

“I would. I think our kids will too. I hope your PO will let you come up here for when they come out.”

“Speaking of which, can I see them?”

“Of course, sweetie.” She said, and held the phone out so that he could see her large belly. Almost instantly, his heart caught in his throat, and he found himself trying to reach through the phone to rub her.

“They are going to be so beautiful.” He said. “I can’t wait to be there for you when you lay them.”

Chapter 12: A Wonderful Weekend

Summary:

A bit of a long one here, but I think you'll really enjoy it.

Facing restrictions from his probation officer, Pythor fears he may not be able to see his children be laid or hatch, but his family and friends are quick to offer support and suggestions. What follows is a wonderful weekend with them, just in time for the gift of life to return to Pythor's embrace.

Comments are deeply appreciated... provided they aren't inflammatory or rude, obviously lol.

Edited 7/31/25 to add changes to serpentine culture.

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[2/10/16 - 8:30 am]

 

"Mr. Acryla, Officer Dedros is ready for you now."

 

"About time." Pythor sighed and put his phone away and slithered into the office to take a seat in front of the officer. "I take it you aren't cold?"

 

"The heater is scheduled for repairs later today. I thought a serpentine could handle a little cold. Then again, you do go around buck ass naked most of the time.”

 

"We can still get frostbite if it's extremely cold! We need to wear thick clothing and protect our tai-"

 

"Yes, yes, that's very interesting. I'd like to get into this meeting. There are other people who need to be seen."

 

"Feel free to send me on my way if you're in a rush."

 

"Very funny. Let's talk about your most recent vacation."

 

“What ‘vacation’? You mean the trip that we made to see my ailing great-great-grandmother?”

 

“Yes, that one.” He said, putting his elbows on the desk and pushing his glasses up. “We granted you three days to pay her a visit, and then we found out that you went on a recreational choo-choo ride with your friends and family. We are not pleased.”

 

“It wasn’t a vacation . She was sick, but she got better.” He hissed.

 

“Mhm, real funny coincidence that she does the morning after you get there, huh? We tried to confirm her sickness, but the hospital in Metalonia has refused to cooperate with us.”

 

“That's because her health information is private, dipshit.”

 

“Careful, offensive language directed at an officer of the justice system wouldn't reflect well on someone with your criminal record.” 

 

"Will you all lay off with the criminal background shit?" Pythor said as he leaned forward and put his hand on the desk. "How many times do I have to spell it out for you people? I was being influenced by the scribes of destiny for the actions that I performed regarding the great devourer and the overlord. Your own Supreme Court recognized that and exonerated me!"

 

"Even still-"

 

"Fine, fleeing from arrest, I'll give you that one, but these 'assault' and 'trespassing' charges you slapped me with are bullshit, and you know it. Firstly, how could I be trespassing? I was injured and I couldn't leave. Garmadon gave me permission to stay."

 

"Secondly, I was defending myself from Lloyd Garmadon. He blasted me into a tree twice, kicked me in the gut, then stomped on my jaw before I even touched him. He has admitted that he struck me first, and Nya was even a witness!”

 

"Even if you were being influenced, the actions you have taken have created a pattern in your behavior. You are impulsive, prone to aggression, and have a history of substance abuse."

 

"I am trying to change." He pleaded and took a deep breath. "I'm trying to help others. I stopped Adrian Chen's invasion by bringing back the previous serpentine king and generals, and I lost my arm saving Lloyd's life. Isn't that enough for you?"

 

"We prefer to be cautious."

 

"You're impossible. You are just as pleasant as your predecessor." He hissed.

 

“I'm not here to make friends.” They said in a flat voice. “Yesterday you emailed the office requesting permission to travel to the Kuu prefecture in one month for the ‘laying and birth of your children’. That request is being denied.”

 

“What?! What the fuck do you mean I can't be there for when my children are hatched?! They're my fucking blood!”

 

“Since we are unable to verify the health condition of your extended relative, we have reasonable doubt that there was no health scare and that this was instead a personal trip. Even though the earth dragon Terra is visibly pregnant, given how different dragon gestation is from humans, we have no way of knowing whether or not they are related to you until after hatching.”

 

“Terra underwent POGS! We know that I am the father of two of the eggs. If I'm not there when they hatch they may not know I'm their father! Do you have any idea how hard it is to convince children that you're their father after they have imprinted on someone else?”

 

“It's not my place to say. But even if we do hypothetically manage to verify this test's results, it does not change the position of the corrections office. The opportunity for you to commit illegal acts at the monastery of spinjitzu or Ninjago City is too great.”

 

“You are literally tracking every meter I move and every sound around me, how can I do anyth- You know what, forget I asked. I'll figure something out." Pythor said as he got up.

 

"As long as it involves you being within your property line between the hours of 9 pm and 7 am, go nuts." The officer said as Pythor slithered to the door. "I also did not give you permission to leave, so I suggest you sit back down."

 

Pythor felt all of the air in his lungs leave his body in a massive sigh, one that made him start coughing roughly into his elbow for a few moments. He slithered back to the chair and sat down.

 

"Alright, this concludes our meeting. You may leave now."

 

Pythor's eye twitched and he gripped the armrest tightly, but breathed out his nose and got up, finally heading out of the building.

 

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[10:00 am]

 

"Those fucking assholes!" Pythor yelled as he slammed the door shut behind him and went into the kitchen to grab some food from the pantry.

 

"Pythor, I'm in a class right now! Watch the language and the volume!" Newt yelled from down the hall.

 

"Fine! I was going outside anyways!" Pythor snapped back and slithered to the treehouse with his food. He slammed the door behind him, threw the food on the counter, and screamed. He promptly threw himself into a loveseat and stewed for the next hour until Newt came in.

 

“Alright, so what's the problem that made you drop those bombs in the middle of my class?"

 

“You know how I told you that I was going to be a father?” Newt nodded. “Guess what? My piece of shit PO said I can't go to the monastery to see her when she lays them."

 

His jaw dropped. “You're kidding, right?” Pythor immediately glared at him. “Okay, okay, I believe you. But, why not?”

 

“Oh, it's because I'm a dangerous criminal with a pattern of behavior.” He mocked.

 

“I thought you were exonerated for that stuff! Lloyd even had that Naboo person or whoever confess about what the cloud kingdom was doing.”

 

"Yes, but it's still on my record, and Ninjago has thrown every hurdle imaginable at me in trying to get it expunged. I still find it highly suspicious that the chief justice of the Supreme Court was found dead in his home just a few weeks after my case."

 

“I don't see why that makes a difference though, they know where you are and what you or others around you are saying.”

 

“That's what I said! But, they won't let me leave, and Terra can't come here for it. Certainly not live here for the time being.” He said, and started sniffing. “I'm going to miss the hatching of my children. I wish I could go see them…”

 

“Well, I think there's a way you can see them.” Newt said, pulling a chair over and sitting next to him. Pythor looked at him, and Newt put an arm around him. “Why don't you call Terra and Wisp, and ask them if they can come here after the eggs are laid? That way it will be safe for her to travel, and you can be here for them when they hatch.”

 

“But, that would mean they'd need to be here. Val is already letting you and me live with her, and now you’re talking about two more people, and that's not even including the eggs.”

 

“I know, she might say no, but you won't know unless you ask. And even if she does say no, I think you should still ask Terra and Wisp if they can come down here. There might be someplace they can stay for a month, and while there is a chance you might miss the hatching of the eggs, it won't be as high as it would be if they stayed up north.”

 

“You really think it would work? They could come down here?” Newt softly nodded, and Pythor quickly pulled him into a hug. “Oh thank you! I never would have thought of that. I'll ask her as soon as I get home from work. Alexis has been very generous with letting me come in late whenever I have meetings or appointments.”

 

“Yeah, you had better get going then.” Newt said, pulling out of the hug. Pythor nodded and got dressed for work, and surprised Newt with one more hug before he left.

 

[][][][][][][][]

 

[Later that evening.]

 

Pythor sat in the living room of Valory's house, twiddling his fingers as he waited for her to come downstairs from getting a shower. As soon as she had and got sat down, he took a deep breath.

 

“So, I'm an expecting father.”

 

“Really? I didn't know that.”

 

“Neither did I until a few days ago, at least not for certain. The girl I impregnated, I haven't been able to see her in person for months due to circumstances beyond my control. She's expected to deliver the eggs sometime next month, and my probation officer has denied me visitation rights.”

 

“Why are you telling me this? I don't quite follow.”

 

“I'm telling you this because… I'm asking permission from you to invite her and her mate to stay here for a month or so.” He said, and she leaned forward in her chair, a bit too abruptly for his liking. “If I'm not around when her eggs hatch, it will be difficult to convince the ones that are mine that I'm their father. It's not impossible, but it isn't easy.”

 

“You're asking me to let two more people and their children stay at my house?”

 

“Yes, I am. But, you can say no. I think there are places around here where they can stay for the time being. There's a risk the eggs could hatch at a time when I can't leave the property, but they'd at least be closer.”

 

“I don't know. I mean, I have extra rooms, and I do want to help but, it would probably be pretty crowded around here. I don't like the idea of turning my house into an apartment complex.”

 

Pythor sighed as he thought of what to say, but made sure to sit up straight to try and keep her from getting the wrong idea. “I understand. You've already done so much for me by letting me stay here rent-free. I don't want to make things harder on you. If you don't feel comfortable letting my other girlfriend and boyfriend stay here, it's okay. We can figure something else out.”

 

“Look, I… I don't want to be the kind of person who says that you aren't allowed to see the children that you created. I've already caught enough snippets of conversation to know that your PO is doing everything they can to treat you like shit.”

 

“Plus I broke stuff in your living room.”

 

“Yeah, you did, but you were very quick to fix it, and I appreciate that. Anyways, I think it's wrong for your PO to deny you visitation rights, at least for the hatching. So, with that in mind actually, I think I can allow them to stay here.”

 

“Really? You really mean that?”

 

She smiled. “Yes, of course. In fact, if they're okay with it, they can stay here before she lays the eggs as well. I don't know how we'll do it, like which room or building they'll stay in, but we can do it.”

 

He jumped to his tail and started hopping. “Oh, thank you, Val! Thank you so much! I'm going to give them a call right now!” He said, dashing out the door and into the treehouse to grab his phone. He immediately brought up her contact number and pressed the call button.

 

“Hey, Pythor. How are you doing?”

 

“I'm doing great right now. Say, how would you and Wisp like to come down here to my place for a couple months or so, that way you can have our children where I'll be able to see them?”

 

“I don't know, my delivery date is estimated to be just a month away. My doctor doesn't want me traveling. And what's this about staying there for a month?”

 

“My… my probation officer said that I'm not allowed to visit you for the laying or the hatching date because they think I'll go on a mass murder spree or something. That means I wouldn't be there to hold our children or see them once they come out of the eggs.”

 

“Oh, Pythor, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize. If that's the case, we should go down there. Oh, hold on, Wisp is wanting to join in.”

 

“Pythor, what's going on?” He asked, but Terra repeated what he said. “THEY SAID WHAT?”

 

Pythor flinched and jerked the phone away from his ear for a moment. “Yeah, I know. But, I just talked about it to my brother's girlfriend, and she said you could stay here at her house, at least for a couple months or so. That way you can be here when the eggs hatch and I won't be prevented from seeing them.”

 

“Terra, we… we gotta do this. Pythor is our mate. He has just as much a right to see the eggs hatch as we do.”

 

“But what about the travel? It's such a long drive down there, and I don't feel comfortable flying in a plane. What if I go into labor on it?”

 

“We can travel by train. I think that will be more gentle, and we can arrive the same day. Plus, we can just get some travelers tea from Mystake. Either way, I think we should do this sooner rather than later, that way we can avoid complications like you just said.”

 

“Where would we be staying, Pythor?”

 

“Well, we haven't figured that out. Valory has a couple other bedrooms in the house, and the basement is set up enough for living, or you could stay with me in the treehouse.”

 

“I don't think we'll be staying in a treehouse where hatchlings can fall. We'll probably stay in the house, but we need to let Wu know about this. We'll be there though, Pythor, one way or another.”

 

“I miss you two.”

 

“We know. We'll see you soon, Frosty. Love you.”

 

“I love you too.”

 

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[2/19/16 - 3:00 pm]

 

Pythor sat on a bench at the train station, watching a sign for the incoming arrivals, and kept looking down the tracks. He made a mental note to thank Alexis for letting him leave work early, as Terra and Wisp were due to arrive any minute. Arcturus and Newt had offered to pick them up so he could finish his shift, but he had to do this himself.

 

To think he hasn't seen Terra in person ever since he was forced to flee from Garmadon's monastery. His chest tightened up as soon as that thought crossed his mind. Sure, he's talked to her over the phone and even video chatted with her, but none of that compares to holding her and hearing her voice from her mouth, instead of a speaker.

 

The train was announced over the speaker, and Pythor got up, wondering which door they would come out of. Finally, he spotted Wisp's deep blue body, and there Terra was, standing right next to him.

 

Tears sprung to his eyes, and he hurried over to them, taking both dragons into his arm and tail. “I've missed you two.”

 

“We can tell, Pythor. It's so good to see you.” Terra said, and pulled him into a kiss. He pulled her closer and even turned his head to deepen it. Several seconds later, he pulled back, panting. “Yeah, I missed that.”

 

“So did I. I can't wait till we can all take on our feral forms and really kiss and feel each other.”

 

“You know we're still on the platform right?” Wisp asked, only to sigh and smile after Pythor took him into a kiss as well, pulling him close, until he finally pulled away. “Come on, let's get out of here so we can get settled. We still have to move this luggage.”

 

“Yeah, let's do that. I can't wait to show you where we'll be staying.” He grabbed Terra by the hand and almost yanked her down to the bus stop in his excitement, but instantly reminded himself to be careful, instead gently guiding her to the elevator.

 

“How are we getting there?”

 

“By bus. My brother lent me his car, but it's parked on the edge of the town since we're moving towards a car-free area. It's really nice actually being able to get to work by bus or tail.”

 

As soon as they got down to ground level, Pythor helped them get their luggage on the bus once it arrived, and from there they made their way to the carpark. Shortly thereafter, Pythor took them to Valory's house and honked the horn once he arrived.

 

“Welcome to paradise.” He said, and waved at Newt once he came outside. He helped Terra get out of the car, while Newt assisted Wisp in getting their luggage out.

 

“It's nice to see you again, Wisp.” Newt said, shaking his hand, and introduced himself to Terra.

 

“It's a pleasure to meet you, too. Pythor has told me a lot about you. He said you loved to play jokes on him and his siblings when you all used to live together, but that you were also the sweetest brother anyone could ask for.”

 

“Awww, that's so nice of you, bro.” Newt said, chuckling at Pythor's flustered response. “Come on, let's get this stuff taken inside. Terra, you said you wanted to stay in the upstairs bedroom, correct?”

 

“Yes, that is where I would like to stay. Would it be okay if I spent some time in the treehouse though?”

 

“Of course. I'm sure Pythor here won't mind~”

 

“Shut up, man.” Pythor said with a grin, and looked at Wisp when he started snickering. “That goes for you too, Sparky.”

 

They were led into the house, and Terra gasped and looked around. “Woah, this is where we'll be staying?”

 

“Yeah, Valory has a thumb as green as her scales, and Pythor here is a local artist. She's very thankful for his decorating.” Newt said. “Is there anything we can do for you?”

 

“Well, we think we can handle the unpacking ourselves later when we're ready. You've already done so much for us by taking the items we've shipped here and getting the room set up for us.”

 

“Plus you have to get back to your classwork.” Pythor said.

 

“Yeah, well, if you're okay, I'll leave you to it.” He said and went down the hall to his office.

 

“Want to go hang out in the treehouse?” Pythor asked. They both agreed, and he led them outside and up the ramp. Once inside, Pythor sat down on the couch with them, resting his hand on Terra's thigh. “This is a dream come true for me.”

 

“I'm sure it is,” She said, smiling as he moved his hand to her belly and trailed it along her scales. “I'm so happy we get to share this with you. I didn't think about how you would be restricted in your freedoms when I thought about my pregnancy.”

 

“And I didn't think about you being sentenced to prison after we had sex. I'm so sorry you had to go through that.”

 

“I'm just glad it was so short. Between the court hearings and processing, I wasn't in prison for very long. I don't like how many male guards watch over females though. I… didn't have some good experiences with them.” She said and moved a hand over her slit, and jumped slightly at the sharpness of Pythor's hissing.

 

“Pythor, there's nothing we can do about it now. In fact, we shouldn't. Cole has already pressed charges against the officers involved.” Wisp warned, quickly reaching over to put his hand on Pythor's shoulder, and he slowly relaxed.

 

“Plus, I actually received a lot of support from other inmates. Sure, there were quite a few in there who didn't like non-humans, but plenty others actually protected me when my pregnancy started to show. It led to some infractions for them, but I'm still grateful for their help.”

 

“In any case, it's over now. We're together, and that's what's important. Plus, we're in a beautiful setting and we can spend this time doing whatever we want.”

 

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought up prison.”

 

“No, it's okay. You love us and want us to be safe, and we love that about you. We always will.” Terra said, and gently hugged Pythor, kissing him as well. “What do you want to do before we get to unpacking?”

 

“I want to give you the tv remote and let you pick something, while I make some hot cocoa for all of us so we can enjoy this fresh snowfall.”

 

“Sounds like a plan to us.” Wisp said, smiling as Pythor handed her the remote and got to work.

 

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[3/19/16 8:30 am]

 

[Quetzalcoatl National Hospital]

 

"Hey! Pythor!"

 

Pythor released his telekinesis and put the a book down when he heard his voice, and looked up to see Eratos walking into the lobby of the office in a thick coat.

 

"Someone sure is overdressed."

 

"Tsk, hardly. I'm worried I didn't wear enough."

 

"Don't like the cold?"

 

"It's not the cold that bothers me- well, it is making my shoulder hurt, shows you what to expect- it's the low humidity. My scales are actually really soft, and dry out quickly in dry air."

 

"Oh, I see."

 

"Well, are you ready?"

 

"Yeah, I'm a little scared though. What if I end up losing my whole shoulder?"

 

"We're going to do our best to make sure that doesn't happen. I've supervised several operations like this, and there will be doctors from Merlopia who have performed such surgeries with them. Come, let's discuss what the surgery will entail."

 

Pythor nodded and followed him into the elevator and up to a conference room, tanking a seat in one of the chairs. Already sitting at the table in the room were a couple of Maaray eels like Eratos, a female dark-skinned human, and a couple of serpentine, a hypnobrai and anacondrai.

 

"Wow, I didn't expect to see so many people here." Pythor said as he took a seat.

 

"Hello, I'm Doctor Sevari Aura, I'm going to be the chief surgeon operating on you today, and this is my lead assistant, Arix Bermus." The Hypnobrai said as he introduced himself and the others.

 

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Acryla." Arix said as she shook his hand. "We're here to cover the procedure for the attachment of the housing for your prosthesis. Do you have any questions for us that you would like to ask?"

 

"Ummmmm…" He muttered as he racked his brain. "Is this going to hurt?"

 

"The surgery itself shouldn't hurt. You will be placed under general anesthesia for the duration of the operation. Afterwards though, you will more than likely experience acute pain in your arm and shoulder."

 

He gulped. "How much?"

 

Eratos sighed next to him. "I won't lie to you, it's going to hurt a lot. Remember what we discussed a few days ago, and when we first met?" He nodded. "I can't put a number on it, but it's going to hurt for at least a week or two. Your arm and shoulder will feel like it's having sharp blades driven into it."

 

"You're not exactly making me feel comfortable."

 

"You will be prescribed opioids for the first three or four days." Sevari said. "And I want to address this right away: it is crucial that you adhere to the dosage and times for the medication. If you overuse them or do so too often, you could develop an addiction to them. And-"

 

"Given my history of substance abuse and alcoholism, that's a very real risk."

 

Sevari nodded, and Pythor sighed. "Alright, let's get started. What are we doing again today? Attaching the prosthesis housing?"

 

Eratos nodded and went up to the screen on the wall, which showed a picture of Pythor's arm.

 

"Yes, this is your arm as of right now. Since you are asking for full motor control of your arm, we won't be able to attach a suction cuff prosthesis to you. In order to allow you to move the arm as you would your left, the housing will need to be attached directly to your bone for support."

 

Pythor watched as Eratos brought up a picture of the metal cuff and showed a cross-section of it.

 

"This is what we will be attaching. Since you will be experiencing a large amount of stimulation for the next week or so, we won't be attaching your arm today. Instead, we will place a metal and rubber cap over the housing to protect the nerves."

 

"After that," Arix continued. "You will be kept under observation for at least 24 hours to monitor your health and look for any signs of infection or serious health hazards. After that, you will be released and will be free to return home."

 

"Will you be staying?" Pythor asked Eratos.

 

"Only for another day, two at most, and just to be available should any mechanical complications arise that could threaten your health. I have business back in Merlopia that I need to attend to, but I will be returning in a couple weeks to bring your arm to you."

 

"Do you think you're ready for the surgery?" Saveri asked.

 

"Yes, I do." Pythor agreed, and got up with them to head to the operating theater.

 

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[3/18/16 - 10:30 am.]

 

"You're gonna have to try harder than that, Lloyd!" Jay laughed as he shifted on the couch.

 

"Oh I still have a few tricks up my sleeve, buddy." Lloyd chuckled and looked over at Pythor. "Hey, you sure you don't want to have a try on this? Korenom is really fun."

 

"Eh, I don't know, video games have never really been my thing. I mean, I've played some that I've ended up enjoying, but I haven't really gotten into them." He said as he read a book, while moving the pile of their clothes off to the side.

 

"What do you like to do?" Jay wondered as his tail flicked behind him.

 

"Mainly read, paint, play the violin and guitar, watch some tv, stuff like that. I didn't have video games or the internet when I was a child, and even if I had, I doubt I would have been allowed to be on them."

 

“You look like you're thinking about something pretty hard right now. What's on your mind?” Lloyd asked.

 

“Well. Two things. 1: I feel like Terra is going to be laying my eggs any minute now, and two, you and me. Remember how I hurt you when you were younger?”

 

“Yeah? Why? What brought that up?”

 

“Well, I… just found out we're related.”

 

“What?!”

 

“GAME! Jay Wins!”

 

“Yes!” Jay yelled. “Wait, what did you say?”

 

“I… think Lloyd here is my… what did that chart say? I think he's my first cousin, 4 times removed.”

 

“Are you serious? You're joking, right?” Lloyd asked.

 

“I don't think so. When I went to see my great-great grandparents last month, I asked them if they knew where my family's long lifespan and transformation powers came from, and they said their father, Wu.”

 

“Pythor, come on, Wu never had any children.” Jay said.

 

“Hey, I trust my family. I don't think Wu even knows he had children. He apparently had sex with a serpentine named Aspheera thousands of years ago. Their adoptive father said so in a letter at that time.”

 

“Are you even really related though?” Jay asked. “You're talking about like 4 or 5 generations.”

 

“If we are, then it's barely. I was thinking about asking you if we could do a DNA test, but I think between us, we'd only share like, less than half a percent of it. My extended grandparents are still alive though, and they have agreed to give their DNA for testing. If you're okay with it, we could see if you and them are first cousins.”

 

“I don't know. I'll… have to think about it.”

 

“I understand. I wasn't going to pressure you to do anything about it right now. Or get a court to order you to do it.” He said, making Lloyd chuckle.

 

“Still must be awkward seeing the naked body of a relative though, eh?” Jay asked, nudging Lloyd.

 

“Dude, serpentine are almost always naked.”

 

“Exactly, plus I don't blink when my mum or dad slither around the house without a shirt on.” Pythor said. “I'm surprised you were willing to take yours off though, Lloyd. I thought you'd be nervous about it.”

 

“I am, but Rose and her family have been very thorough about why serpentine like going out in just their scales whenever possible, and I have to say, it's actually really nice. It just feels so freeing and natural to be yourself. Plus it makes for a unique feeling with the cold outside and the warm interior of this treehouse.”

 

There was knocking at the door, and Pythor volunteered to get up and open it. As soon as he did, he saw two fangpyres standing outside on the porch. "Oh, hello Jesshema and… ummm…" He said as he tried to remember the younger one's name.

 

"Rose!" Lloyd cheered and jumped off the couch to run over to the door.

 

"Hey, Lloyd." She said with a smile and gave him a hug.

 

"You were able to get permission to come over?"

 

"Yeah, my mom said I could." She said and looked at Pythor, shying slightly away from him.

 

"Do you want to carry your bag inside and get comfortable, Rose?" Jesshema asked.

 

"Yeah."

 

"Pythor, could you be so kind as to help me carry the rest of the stuff in?"

 

He nodded and slithered outside as she walked down the steps next to him, letting out a sigh before he spoke.

 

"Fangtom has been talking about me, hasn't he?"

 

She let out a sigh of her own. "Yes, he has. He wasn't happy about Rose coming over and spending the night here. He only agreed after I talked to him about it."

 

"It worries me what he's saying about me. I don't want anyone believing something that isn't true." He said as he picked up some bags and looped his tail through them. "So, you don't think that way about me?"

 

"I try to keep an open mind and not judge people for their past actions, it helps with my profession as a mental health counselor."

 

"You're a mental health counselor? I didn't know that." He asked as they carried the rest of the bags into the kitchen.

 

"Yes, it's something that I feel very happy about doing. I've been practicing for about 48 years now. I started right before the serpentine war occurred."

 

"What kind of counseling do you do?"

 

"Primarily individual-based. I practice cognitive behavioral therapy and its various sub disciplines to help treat people with personality, emotional, and trauma-based disorders."

 

"I see. I have been told I'm quite emotional."

 

"Howso?"

 

"I've been told I'm impulsive, blow up over the tiniest things, and that I'm too clingy or distant. My dad is usually the one to say that, even though we don't get along too well anymore." He said as they got back to the car before he blinked. "Actually I don't know why I'm saying all of this."

 

"How do you feel about those things?"

 

He paused again and noticed her glancing over at him as she organized some things in the trunk before shutting it. His heart started beating faster at the realization that she was likely probing him about this.

 

He heaved and hung his head and arm down low as his shoulders slumped.

 

"Oh, what the hell? I already spilled all the beans." He stayed there like he was for a few moments before he spoke. "I feel like they're right. I get upset at everything, like… really upset. I take an accidental remark about something and start swearing because I assume they don't care."

 

Jesshema glanced up at the window and lowered her voice as she dug around in the glove box. "Rose is watching us. I don't know if she can hear us, but I feel like this should be continued in a more private setting." She got a card out and handed it to him. "If you want to, you can contact me here and we can set up an appointment to discuss things you're concerned about."

 

"Alright, thank you. I'll think about it." Pythor said and bid her farewell before heading inside and taking a seat next to Terra.

 

"What were you talking to my mom about?" Rose asked as soon as he came in.

 

"Some personal things."

 

"Like what?"

 

Pythor sighed and looked over at her, and she scooted back away from him on the couch. Lloyd looked between them and opened his mouth, but Pythor held his hand up, Terra placing hers in his lap.

 

"We talked about private things regarding my health that I don't feel comfortable discussing here, and I have my reasons for that. Before we really get into the day, I'd like to clear some things up. Are you afraid of me?"

 

Rose tensed up slightly, and glanced over at Lloyd, then back at Pythor and nodded slightly.

 

"Why is that?"

 

"You're cruel, you… you tried to kill my dad, and… and he said you like hurting people and destroying their lives."

 

He wanted to make her more comfortable around him, but with each thing she said, he felt his heart sink more and more. He was beginning to wonder if she actually wanted to be here.

 

"Rose, it's okay, Pythor isn't like that." Lloyd said, and she looked over at him again, but still kept her eyes on Pythor.

 

“He's right. Pythor here is someone that I love very dearly, and we had a very extensive conversation about this when we first got to know each other. I could tell he was being sincere. You can trust him.” Terra said.

 

He sighed and looked down at the floor for a moment, then back up at her. "Rose, do you think I'm going to hurt you?"

 

She didn't answer, but he could see how tense her muscles were getting, so he made sure to keep his arm on the cushions.

 

"I understand that you're afraid of me, and I want to clarify that I have done horrible things, things that I am deeply regretful for, such as trying to hurt your father. I can promise you that I won't hurt you or even try to."

 

"You won't?"

 

"I promise. I am trying to make amends for the things I've done in the past and the people I've hurt, and that includes you." He said with a smile. "Will you give me a chance?"

 

"I… I can try."

 

"Thank you, Rose."

 

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[5:40 pm]

 

Pythor breathed softly as he sat on a chair inside the house near the wood stove, pressing his fingers to the strings of the guitar that sat in his lap while flicking them with his tail. Right in front of him sat Newt, Val, Rose, and the two ninja. Front and center were Wisp and Terra, Pythor's eyes constantly being drawn to the latter's large belly. He smiled at the eggs in there that were about to be laid soon, the children that he and Wisp had sired with her.

Even Salome had managed to make it over with River. The wolfdog kept watching her, her eyes wide and staying by her side to make sure she got around okay. Pythor had invited her, and was happy that she was able to move more. She had really wanted to meet Terra and Wisp so she could get to know them, and until he had started playing, the four of them and even Rose had smiled and laughed as they talked. He had a good feeling that this three-way relationship he was in would really work out.

"Wow, I had no idea you knew how to play the guitar, dude. You're really great." Jay said, eating some pretzels.

 

"Thanks, I appreciate that. Also, you know we're going to be eating in about half an hour, right?"

 

"Yeah, but I got hungry. Don't worry, I'm not eating much. Where'd you learn how to play?"

 

"I taught myself a long time ago. I love doing things with my hands like painting or making music."

 

"Nya is really great on the piano. I love hearing her play it."

 

About 15 minutes later, Pythor set the guitar down and leaned back as he took the pick off of his tail. "Alright, I think that's enough. My fingers and tail are getting tired."

 

"That was really nice, love." Terra said as she clapped her scaled hands, and the others joined him, making Pythor look to the side.

 

"Uh, thanks. It's been a little while since I've played, I really don't have much practice playing using my tail to pick the strings."

 

"No, nonsense. You played like a natural." She continued, making Pythor feel even more fluttery. She came over to him, and he got up to meet her. He held her close and took her head into his hand, gently pressing his mouth to hers.

 

“I love you so much, Terra.” He moved the hand down to her stomach, gently tracing the baby bump she had. Once he realized how long he had spent doing so, he looked around. "Ummm, are you all hungry? I can get started cooking if you'd like."

 

"Yeah, that would be nice. What are you going to be making?" Rose said.

 

"Grilled cabbage. I'm going to be lathering them in salt, pepper, olive oil, onions, and garlic, then cooking them over an electric grill. I also got broccoli and cloud corn that I'll steam, and some salads that I made."

 

“Woah, that sounds good, but I don't think I've ever tried it.” Salome said.

 

"I had no idea you knew how to cook so much." Jay said. “But I don't know if I'll like the garlic.”

 

“Me neither.” Rose added.

 

"Oh trust me, Pythor is a really great cook. During the time I was playing pranks with him, he kept me well fed. He is amazing at smoking and roasting food." Lloyd added.

 

“Thanks, but I've been reading that cooking that way isn't the best for your long-term health. At least for humans.” He chuckled. “Come on, let’s go eat.”

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A short while later, everyone was seated around the dinner table as food was served to them.

 

"Oh man, this smells amazing." Rose said as she flicked her tongue out. "Thank you, Pythor!"

 

"Yeah, oh man, food just smells even better as a serpentine. I can't wait to dig into this." Jay agreed, doing the same.

 

"By all means, go ahead." Pythor chuckled as he took his seat and started eating. River came up to him wearing a big smile and hit him with her paw. He smiled at her and gave her a piece of a bun.

 

"You made all this yourself?" Rose wondered.

 

"Not all of it, but I mean, you saw me cooking out there."

 

"Not really, I was actually spending time with Lloyd." She said, and he blushed as he looked down at his food.

 

Pythor flicked his tongue out and caught a scent on Rose and smiled. "Ah, my mistake then. Yeah, I made all of this myself. The macaroni salad and cole slaw that you can get at the stores usually has too much sugar for my tastes, so I made my own with less in it."

 

"I really can't tell, it tastes even better in my opinion." Lloyd added.

 

“It sure does!” Val cheered. “I'm going to have to get these recipes from you. That way I can cook for Newt when he's nose-deep in his textbooks.”

 

“Ummm… I'm perfectly capable of cooking for myself.” He stammered, looking over at her, only for her to poke him on the nose.

 

“Capable, but not willing.”

 

"How did you and Rose meet, Lloyd?" Pythor asked as he fed River a piece of his burger.

 

"We actually met when I opened the fangpyre tomb. I gave Rose some food that I had on me. We didn't start hanging out more till after the stuff with the devourer happened."

 

"Yeah, and imagine my surprise when Lloyd shows up at our house like, eight or nine years older. Much closer to my age. He certainly looked a lot more attractive then." She giggled, trailing her hand over the skin on his chest.

 

"Rose, please…" Lloyd said as he looked away with a blush on his cheeks, and Pythor caught his cock starting to harden.

 

"What? You did! Anyways, we started doing more things together, like going to movies, sharing holiday parties with our families, it's been really fun."

 

"Is there enough for seconds?" Wisp asked. "I can't get enough of this."

 

"I suppose I can cook up some more stuff for you. Frankly I thought you'd get full off of this stuff. Just make sure you save room for dessert."

 

"Who does all the cooking at the monastery for you all?" Rose asked.

 

"Usually Zane or Misako. Wu and Cole sometimes do the cooking, but their food… isn't the best. Oh, but don't tell them I said that." Lloyd said.

 

"I know I'd never go hungry in the middle of the day if you cooked for us, Pythor." Jay said.

 

"Yeah you would, Jay, you have the metabolism of a blast furnace." Lloyd chuckled.

 

"Hey, how many times do I have to tell you, it's my element! It makes everything in me faster!"

 

A weak smile made its way onto Pythor's face as he looked up from his food. "Maybe so, but I know I definitely wouldn't be wanted there."

 

"What do you mean?" Lloyd asked. "I told you I'd like it if you were there."

 

"I know you would, scamp, you told me yourself. I'm talking about the others, like Kai, Cole, and Zane. They hate me."

 

"Aw, they don't hate you." Jay said with a chuckle, one that tapered off as Pythor looked at him. "Okay, yeah, they really don't like you."

 

"Besides, I don't want to drag down the mood of this dinner. In fact, I'm going to get the rest of the food.

 

Pythor got up and went inside into the kitchen. He stood by the counter and let out a deep sigh, and looked over at Lloyd when he heard him coming in.

 

"Lloyd, I know what you're going to say. You don't need to bother." He said as he leaned back.

 

"Why not? Look, I know you've hurt people on the team, but so have I. I think in time, you'd really come to be a great part of it."

 

"Don't even try to compare what I've done to your silly pranks." Pythor said as he shot a harsh glare at Lloyd. "Nya told me how Kai is still traumatized by what I did to him."

 

They both sat there in silence for several seconds before Pythor spoke again.

 

"I'd love to be a part of your team, buddy. I really, really would. Jay is really cool, and I like what Nya can do, but… it just can't happen. I have a job now, and my probation requires me to maintain employment. Besides, I don't want to mess up this new arm I'm getting from my friend Eratos."

 

Lloyd scooted over and wrapped his arm around Pythor's body, pulling him close to him.

 

"I wouldn't let them mistreat you, buddy, and I know sensei Wu wouldn't either. I promise. But… I see what you mean. I didn't think of your probation, and I don't want to get you in trouble with them, even if this whole thing seems fishy."

 

Pythor wrapped his arm around Lloyd's shoulders and looked down at him with a smile. "Lloyd, I can't say how much I appreciate you caring so much about me. It truly means a lot to me."

 

"Well, of course I care. You're my best friend."

 

Pythor felt tears start to form in his eyes as he pulled Lloyd into a tight embrace.

 

"I love you, Lloyd."

 

"Want to go back outside?"

 

Pythor nodded. “Sure, let's get the ice cream and all the fixings for it. They're going to love this.”

 

"So, who wants ice cream?" Lloyd asked from the window, and Pythor smiled when a round of cheers erupted from the table.

 

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KRACK! KRAAACKOOOM!

 

Pythor gasped and shot up in his bed and looked around for the loud noises that shook him awake, and saw the windows flash, just before another loud bang made him hold the sheets to his chest like a little hatchling.

 

“Pythor? Are you okay?” Terra asked.

 

“Fuck… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up sweetie.” He said, shuddering as he looked at the window.

 

A quick glance over at the clock told him it was 2:03 am. A groan left Pythor's mouth at the realization that he'd likely be up for the rest of the night, but that groan quickly turned to a whimper with yet another rumble.

 

“It's okay, Pythor. The storm will pass.”

 

He still turned himself invisible as a reflex, laughing internally at the idea that the storm would pass if it couldn't see him. “Terra… I'm scared.” He pulled her close into a hug, and she did the same for him.

 

“Why don't you go see Wisp? He loves thunderstorms, and he can help you through this. I promise.”

 

He was about to question if he could, but another flash of thunder sent him scrambling from the bed and to Wisp's room. He hurriedly knocked on the door, only to immediately regret disturbing him.

 

“What is it? It's the middle of- Pythor? What's going on?”

 

“I'm sorry… I… T-Terra said you could help.”

 

“Of course, come on in.” He said, moving aside and shutting the door behind Pythor. He sat on the bed. “Are you scared of the storm?

 

Pythor yelped at an even louder flash, and clamped a hand over his mouth to keep himself from waking Jay and the others up.

 

"I-I couldn't sl-sleep. I woke u-up and… couldn't g-get back t-t-t-to it. I woke Terra u-up too. I'm s-sssssorry I w-woke you up. I-I just…" He said as he trailed off and looked at the ground, flinching every time he heard thunder. It felt like it would never end…

 

"A little."

 

"Well, it's just weather. It will pass."

 

"Hah! Easy for you to say, you're a lightning dragon, you probably feel right at home in this storm. Terra said it would pass too."

 

"Careful, your brother and his mate are sleeping."

 

"Trust me, I doubt they can hear us over the rain, if it and the thunder haven't woken them up already, but if it makes you feel better," He said and looked up at the room. "Sonus circumiecto scuto."

 

A blue wave of energy rose up from the ground and covered the walls. Pythor sighed and sat next to Wisp on the bed, looking out the window at the flashing clouds. "What am I going to do? I can't sleep as long as it's still storming, and this jacket isn't keeping me warm at all."

 

"Why don't you come over here then?"

 

Pythor looked back over at Wisp and saw that he had scooted back against the headrest, and motioned him over. Pythor slithered over to rest against his body, and Wisp hugged him.

 

He immediately felt a warmth bloom in his chest as he leaned against him, and he wasn't sure if it was coming from himself or Wisp's body. He reached over and felt the firm scales that covered the dragon's body, and he could even feel the huge " thump-thump " that came from his heart.

 

Another loud crack roared through the sky, and Pythor held his tail to his chest like a child would their teddy bear. "I hate this. I really, really hate this." He said, his voice starting to crack as tears streamed down his face.

 

He noticed Wisp glancing over at him, and he gasped slightly and hurried to wipe his tears away. Pythor frowned and turned his head away and felt his chest tighten up as he tried to keep the rest of the tears from spilling.

 

A prince does not cry. A prince does not cry. A prince does not cry.

 

Pythor was interrupted from his thoughts by the feeling of something nudging him, and took his head out of his arm to see that it was Wisp's hand. He gently ran his thumb over the side of Pythor's face, and his warm, yellow slitted-eyes looked up into Pythor's red ones.

 

"It's okay to be afraid, Pythor."

 

Pythor's resolve crumbled and he laid his snout on Wisp's as he felt the tears flowing in force now.

 

"No it's not. Being afraid means everyone can see just how weak and pathetic you are. So, so many people hate me and want me dead or broken. If they saw me like this, they'd just see another thing to use against me."

 

"Who told you that you weren't supposed to cry or show fear?"

 

He sniffed. "My father, Aihtiram. He was the king before Arcturus, and I was his only heir. He told me that I was never supposed to cry or show weakness, especially around other serpentine. If I did, he'd make me turn invisible and, I quote 'really give me something to cry about' later. My mother was the same way."

 

"That's terrible. I'm sorry you had to grow up like that. I think they were wrong to raise you that way. Crying isn't a bad thing, it's a way of purging your body of things you've been holding inside that are hurting you."

 

"I'm over 300 years old though, I'm a grown adult."

 

"Age doesn't matter. Anyone can cry."

 

Pythor lifted his head up and wiped his eyes, though the tears still kept flowing. He looked into Wisp's eyes, and saw that he meant every word. Pythor felt his heart connecting with Wisp's, and the connection to him felt even stronger now that he was being comforted.

 

Pythor sighed and looked up at the sky again, noticing that the flashes of lightning were starting to appear farther away, and the claps of thunder quieter.

 

"Seems like it's passing us now. It will probably be over soon." Wisp said as he opened his eyes.

 

"Hopefully." Pythor said and let out a huge yawn, finding that his head and eyes were feeling heavier now. He shifted himself and leaned his head against Wisp's body, relishing in his warmth.

 

"Would you believe me if I told you I used to be afraid of thunder?" Wisp asked.

 

"Probably not." Pythor said as he tried to keep his eyes open.

 

Wisp snorted and smiled. "Fair enough. I was a hatchling when I became scared of it. Thunder sounds deafening when you're that small."

 

"I bet. Jay said you love flying around in thunderstorms. How did that… come about?" Pythor asked through another yawn as he closed his eyes.

 

"Wu helped me by slowly introducing me to thunderstorms and…"

 

He tried to listen to the rest of Wisp's answer, but all the fear and cold that he felt earlier had sapped his energy. Wisp's body felt so warm, and he was so comfortable being held by the mighty dragon despite the rain still falling outside. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.

 

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[The next morning]

 

Pythor and Wisp awoke to frantic knocks at the bedroom door, and the former got up, yawning as he glanced at the clock, seeing it read 7:20 am. He went over to the door and opened it while rubbing his eyes. “What is i-?”

 

“Pythor… Wisp… I-I think it's happening.” Terra said, leaning against the doorframe and panting. He glanced down at her, and saw a trickle of fluids running down her leg and onto the floor.

 

“Oh fuck… Wisp, come on! Get up!” He said, and turned to see that he already was. “Come on, sweetie, let's get you back to your room.”

 

“I'll get the bed ready!” Wisp said, and Pythor quickly moved to the side to make room. At the end of the hall, Newt and Valory came into the room with concerned looks, but moved back into theirs once they saw the situation.

 

Pythor followed Terra into the bedroom, where Wisp was quickly covering the bed in a rubber-like blanket. Both of them helped Terra up onto the bed, and she carefully got on her hands and knees, facing away from them.

 

“Hey, love.” He said, coming over to her head and cradling her chin, gently kissing her cheek.

 

“Hey, Frosty. Glad you… told us… to come. It was… a great idea.” She said, grunting and panting all the while. Pythor offered her his hand, and she took it, while Wisp kept close behind her, carefully watching her slit.

 

Pythor too craned his head back, and watched as her slit spread wide open. A creamy white egg slowly approached her folds, and as Terra grunted again, it pushed out even further, and fell to the bed with a soft thump. He glanced back to his waist as he felt his hemipenes beginning to emerge at the sight of Terra laying his eggs, and grimaced slightly.

 

“Hey, it's… okay… to be aroused by this. It… felt great… making them. Maybe… we can… nnnngh… do something lateeeer.” She said, smiling even as she laid the second egg.

 

“Not with this on.” He said, pointing his tail at his monitor.

 

“Yeah, I wouldn't feel comfortable doing anything intimate with that either if I were in your situation.” Wisp said.

 

“They may think they're still hurting me by not letting me masturbate or fuck, but I won't let them get me down. I don't have to do it to be happy.”

 

“That's the spirit, buddy!” Wisp said, patting his back as Terra pushed out the third egg.

 

“Yeah. We're here for you. Now and fooorevvvverrrr.” Terra grunted, and Pythor went back to watching as the fourth and final egg came out in quick succession. She rolled onto her side, panting as she gently grabbed the eggs and held them close. “I did it… I finally did it.”

 

“You sure did, sweetie. Is this your first clutch?” Pythor asked.

 

“Yeah… I never knew it would be that hard. I guess Fria was right.” She said, and rested her head on the pillow. She carefully pulled the eggs close to her, holding them to her chest. “But, they're ours. Now we have to figure out which eggs belong to you.”

 

“These two.” Pythor said, lowering himself to the bed and touching two of them. “I just know. These… are my babies.” Tears came to his eyes and he kissed the eggs. “And I love them.”

 

“Hey… is this a bad time? We heard what was happening.” Lloyd said from around the doorframe.

 

“You were listening?” Wisp asked.

 

“Oh, no. Newt called the treehouse and told us, just so we wouldn't see anything we weren't ready for.”

 

“Oh, phew. Well, it's all over now, so I'd say it's safe to go by if you need to.”

 

“Actually, Rose and I wanted to say congratulations. We know how important this is to you three.” He said, stepping into the doorway with Rose.

 

“Yes, I… I'm happy for you.” Rose said, stammering slightly. She stood there for a few seconds, and Pythor tilted his head.

 

“Is that it? You… you look like you have something else you want to say.”

 

“There is, but… I don't know how to say it. I mean… yesterday we had that talk and…”

 

“It's okay, we'll have time to talk later. I appreciate the support. I'll join you for breakfast in a little bit. For now, I think I'd like to spend this time with Terra, Wisp, and our babies.”

 

“We understand.” Lloyd said, and Rose nodded, both of them turned to leave. Once they had, Valory poked her head in.

 

“I can bring your breakfast up here if you'd like.”

 

“I think that would be nice.” Wisp said, sharing tender looks with Terra and Pythor.

 

“Breakfast in bed is a great idea, the best way to continue the good vibes of this morning.” Pythor said. “Can I get pancakes and uhh… is it wrong to ask for eggs to eat?”

Terra snickered. “No silly, it’s not. I’ll have what he is.”

“Same.” Wisp added after catching his breath from laughing.

“I’ll get right on it.”

Chapter 13: Heal Thyself

Summary:

Some might see this chapter as a bit more mundane and boring, but I consider it an important part of the story, as it focuses on Pythor's physical and mental recovery, healing both kinds of wounds and trauma that he has endured over the centuries he's been alive. Pythor receives his prosthetic hand from Eratos and undergoes physical therapy, then visits a fangpyre therapist to begin treatment for his mind, followed by a very healing substance abuse counseling session among human, serpentine, and dragon friends.

[March 28th, 2016 - 1:50 pm]

 

"Hey Salome, I was wondering if you wanted to go out for dinner again tonight?"

 

"Oh ummm, I don't think I can. I'm kind of busy tonight."

 

"With what?"

 

"Work stuff. My family has been bugging me again, and I got started on things later than I wanted to."

 

Pythor frowned when he heard that. She didn't sound too thrilled about the idea of going out. What could he do?

 

"Oh, well I could come over with some pizza again if you can't go out. Maybe we could watch another movie too."

 

"I can't do that either. I've been out of work for a while now, and I have a lot of material that I need to read. I can't let myself be distracted."

 

"I'm a distraction?"

 

He heard a sigh on the other end of the phone and gulped. He hadn't meant to say that out loud.

 

"No, Pythor. I enjoy spending time with you, but I'd rather do this right now. You encouraged me to do this. Look, I gotta go. Maybe we'll see each other later. Goodbye."

 

She hung up before he could even say goodbye, and he stared down at his phone with his heart in his tail. She'd rather focus on work than be with him. He knew he wanted her to be happy, and he meant what he said on their first date, but… she couldn't find any time for him at all?

 

"Hey, Pythor, how are you feeling?"

 

He jumped slightly and almost dropped his phone when he heard that.

 

"Oh, hey. I'm… I'm doing alright Eratos." Pythor said and tried to smile. "I'm just missing my girlfriend. Apparently she's busy with work and I can't see her right now."

 

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Do you need a hand?" He asked as he lifted up a box. "I got your new one right here."

 

Pythor smiled and nodded as he held the door open for him and went inside the office he was at.

 

"Hello, we're here to see Grippe. We have an appointment for 2:00 pm."

 

"Of course, he'll be right out." The receptionist said, and the two took a seat.

 

"So, how have you been doing, Eratos? Are things going well for you down in Merlopia?"

 

"More or less. It feels like I'm always working on things, either my own projects, or what the king or prince assigns me. I just can't seem to stop."

 

"I don't really know what that's like, so I don't think I can relate."

 

"Yes, yes, and I'm having some issues with my family, but you probably don't want to hear about that." He said with a chuckle.

 

"Well, actually, I wouldn't mind listening if it's something that you want to get off your chest."

 

Eratos smiled and opened his mouth, but the door to the waiting room opened and Grippe slithered out.

 

"Ah, hello. It's nice to see you two again, come on back."

 

Pythor and Eratos followed him back into a therapy room, where Eratos set the box down on a countertop.

 

"So, Pythor, it seems like you're ready for your new prosthetic arm, correct?" Grippe asked as he came over.

 

"Yep. I've been waiting for this for what feels like forever. Eratos, I really want to thank you for working so hard on this. I never would have expected this to be done so soon."

 

"You're welcome, Pythor. I wanted to get this done soon because of that conversation we had. I knew how much losing your arm hurt you, so I put a lot of work into this to make sure it had everything you asked for."

 

Eratos opened up the box, and Pythor felt his heart melt at the sight of the gray, metallic arm inside.

 

"It looks even better than it did on the screen." He said and looked at his shoulder. "It's going to hurt, right?"

 

"Yes, it will. Are you ready for it to be attached?"

 

He shrugged. "As ready as I'll ever be."

 

"It will probably be better if you take a seat then." Eratos said and got the arm out while Pythor sat down on a bench. As soon as he came over, he removed the cap on the housing and readied the arm. "Okay, I'm going to put it on in 3… 2… 1."

 

Pythor yelled as it felt like dozens of knives were being jammed deep into his shoulder. Tears formed at the edges of his eyes as he fought to keep himself from moving. After a minute or two, he looked over and saw the gray arm attached to his body, and both of his hands were clenched into fists.

 

"Fuck… you weren't kidding when you said it would hurt." He said through restrained breaths and slowly unclenched his hands.

 

"Are you alright?" Eratos asked as he looked at Pythor with wide eyes.

 

Pythor smiled at his compassion and nodded. "Yeah, I'll live. It feels really numb and heavy though. Is this what it was like for you two?"

 

"Pretty much. When I was first given my tail, the one I have now, it hurt trying to slither around. I got used to it eventually though." Grippe said.

 

"Yeah, whenever I have to attach my arm, it feels like my shoulder is being zapped by electricity. You're going to have to experience that every time you take it off and reattach it." Eratos explained. "As for the numbness, you'll get used to that and it won't feel as heavy after a few days or so. I definitely wouldn't recommend any heavy lifting with it for at least a week or so."

 

"Can I sleep with it?"

 

"Oh definitely. It won't take any damage if you sleep on your right side. It's seamlessly connected to your body now. Just be careful with it. It may be close to the weight of your other arm, but it isn't going to be as strong."

 

"Well, thanks. I'll try not to break it. This really means a lot to me. I can't stress that enough."

 

"Alright, Pythor. Now that you have the arm attached, I would like to start with some basic hand movements, just to see how you are able to move it. Can you close your fist?" Grippe said.

 

Pythor nodded and held up his prosthetic arm, focusing as he closed his fist into a ball.

 

"Alright, good work. Next, could you move your arm up and touch your hand to your shoulder and then back?"

 

Pythor did just that, or at least… he tried to. His arm felt like it weighed at least 30 kg, and he frowned at how long it was taking him to do what was asked of him.

 

"It's important not to rush yourself. Any overstimulation could result in feelings of numbness or sharp pain. Extreme temperature or atmospheric pressure can also cause this pain."

 

"Don't worry, I know not to rush myself. If I had, I'd probably still have a broken shoulder right now."

 

"You'll get it, Pythor, don't worry." Eratos supported, and Pythor smiled as he kept trying, eventually managing to complete the movement. "See? I knew you'd get it!"

 

Pythor smiled more now and did some stuff with turning his wrist. "Thanks, I'll probably still be able to help out with moving that science stuff you said you wanted."

 

"You want to go do that after this?" Eratos asked, and Pythor nodded.

 

"Yeah, I can't wait to show you what I got you."

 

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"Your sister has a really nice house, two of them actually." Eratos said as they pulled up.

 

"Yeah, the small one is the guest house, and it's actually the original house. It's over 150 years old." Pythor said as he pulled up.

 

"Oh wow, can we go look at it?"

 

"Of course, that's where the science supplies are, but first I want you to take a look in the lean-to."

 

Pythor pulled up to a stop next to the house and made room for the truck that was following them. He and Eratos then got out and went over to the lean-to next to the house. He pulled a tarp off and showed Eratos a bunch of metallic structures.

 

“Tada!”

 

"Woah, you made the manta-ray saddles." He said as he felt the metal.

 

"Yep, a bronze alloy of manganese and aluminum. It's perfectly rigid and won't rust underwater."

 

"Thanks, can we check out the other stuff you made?"

 

"Sure." He agreed and led Eratos inside, who gasped at everything he saw.

 

"Axol Yuliri… How much stuff did you make?"

 

"Enough for eight or 10 of your classes. I figured since I had the powers to make this, and my friends Skalidor and Jay had the resources, why not help the kids out at your place?"

 

Eratos didn't answer, he just went over and looked at the pictures taped to the tops of the boxes and moved the magnifying glass over one of his eyes.

 

"I don't believe it… you got beakers, graduated cylinders, safety glasses, gloves, prongs, everything I asked for. I didn't think there would be so much of it!" Eratos said as he zipped around the house while Pythor watched with a smile on his face.

 

"Why don't you check what's on the kitchen floor over there?"

 

Eratos took a look in the boxes, and squealed as he covered his mouth with his hands before looking back at Pythor.

 

"You made microscopes?" He asked, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

 

"Yeah, you told me how hard the kids in your kingdom have been struggling to apply things that are being taught to them, so I wanted to make enough for everyone to have fun."

 

Pythor was taken aback when he felt Eratos wrapping his arms around his body, and he smiled as he returned the hug.

 

"Thank you, Pythor. I really mean it. I can't say how much this means to me, my friends, and my king. We've been wanting to do this so much, and we just haven't had the funds to invest in this."

 

"You're welcome, Eratos. I'm so happy I could help."

 

Eratos pulled out of the hug and looked around at the stuff. "Guess this is why you said to get a truck. Should we get this stuff loaded?"

 

Pythor nodded and picked up one of the boxes, leaving Eratos and his friends to pick up the heavier microscopes. As they loaded up the truck, Pythor noticed the big smile on Eratos's face, and even the octopus like-creature and the Maaray eel, and thought about what it must be like in Merlopia, but shuddered at the reminder that it was under the ocean.

 

"Hey, Pythor?" Eratos asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. "I'm going to tell King Trimaar about what you've done here today, you've really helped us out with our science classes, and I know our children are going to love learning with this."

 

"You don't have to." He said as he looked away, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

"I want to, though. This is something the king cares about very much, and it will really make things better for everyone. If you ever want to come to Merlopia, just let me know, and I'll see if I can show you around. I'm sure there's a lot of stuff you'd love there."

 

"Ummm… I-I'll think about it." He said and gulped.

 

"Hey, Pythor." Someone else called and he turned around to see Canicula coming up with Acer and Bergii next to her. "I'm going to the bus stop to pick up the kids, you wanna come?"

 

Pythor looked at Eratos, who smiled and waved him off, and he nodded.

 

"Well, looks like you got everything packed away." He said with a smile as the other Merlopians were finishing putting the boxes in the truck. "I assume you're going to be heading back home now?"

 

"Yeah, I have more research I need to do. The work of a scientist is never over." Eratos chuckled.

 

"Just be careful not to overwork yourself." Pythor said and sighed. "I'm going to miss you. I enjoy hanging out with someone as nice and engaging as you. You've done so much for me."

 

"I will, and you've done so much for us as well. I've never had a cup of coffee like the one you made for me at that coffee shop of yours." Eratos said as he shook Pythor's hand. "I hope to see you later."

 

Pythor bid him farewell and went back to the house.

 

"You sure seem happy." Canicula said as she looked over at him.

 

"Yeah, Eratos's reaction to me making so much stuff for him is part of that. The other is me finally having a right arm again."

 

"I saw that. How does it feel?"

 

"Heavy. My body still isn't used to having sensations coming from it. My fingers feel numb and sluggish. I heard it's supposed to go away with time though."

 

"Hopefully it will. I know how much you wanted this."

 

He nodded as they got to the bus stop, and the dogs started pacing and whining when they saw the school bus coming, and they went up to the bus door as soon as it opened.

 

Cani's kids both looked happy to see the dogs, as did the bus driver, and they gave them their bags to carry in their mouths. Pythor smiled and went inside with them, looking forward to playing with them.

 

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[2:50 pm]

 

Pythor twiddled his fingers as he stood in front of the office building where his appointment was to take place. He sighed and shook his head, and went inside.

 

"Hello, do you have an appointment here today? Or are you looking to schedule one?" A young, female hypnobrai asked from behind the desk 

 

"Ummm… I… I have an appointment with Dr. Szylági at 3:00 pm."

 

"Pythor Acryla?"

 

"Yes, that's me."

 

"Okay, you can take a seat, and she will be right out."

 

Pythor did, and read a magazine until she came out and led him back to the office.

 

"Wow, I like your office. It doesn't even feel like one with all of these plants in here. The wallpaper is also really beautiful with the futuristic design." He said, his tongue flicking out as he picked up the scents of the flowers in the room.

 

"Thanks, I've found that being around nature has a calming effect on most humans and serpentine."

 

"Yeah, I definitely like it." He said and sat down on the couch, avoiding eye-contact with her.

 

"Is something wrong? You seem nervous and withdrawn."

 

He flinched and tensed up as he slowly flicked his gaze back up to her. "N-No. I'm only talking to the wife whose husband I tried to seriously injure, the said husband of whom also hates me."

 

"Well, I understand your reservations, but you need not worry. I do not hold any ill will towards you. I keep my personal feelings about matters separate from my sessions with my clients."

 

He scoffed. "Really, it's just that easy for you, huh? Don't you love him?" He furrowed his brows when she didn't even so much as frown towards him, keeping the same neutral expression on her face.

 

"I do, yes. As for your first question, it is, for the most part. I am a living person, and have my own thoughts and feelings about what I experience, just like you. However, in order to perform a beneficial service to those I meet with during my working hours, I am required to remain unbiased and open-minded when listening to what they have to say."

 

Pythor's eyes widened and he looked down at the floor. "Listen to me, my first time meeting with you and I'm already having an outburst. I'm lucky I didn't yell at you. One hell of a first impression, huh?"

 

"Perhaps, although a common expression in our field, and one that we tell our clients is that not much can surprise us."

 

"So, how is this going to work? Am I going to lie down on one of those couches and talk to you about my father or something?"

 

"Not exactly, this isn't going to be like any movies you may have seen. I wrote down what you discussed with me when we met at your brother's house. Would you like to start there?"

 

"I guess." He groaned and leaned back against the couch. "What did you write down?"

 

"That you said you get angry at accidental remarks and start swearing, and that you are impulsive, clingy, or distant." She said after pulling out a notepad. "You also mentioned that you aren't too close with your adoptive father, Arcturus."

 

"Nope. When I first freed him from the cursed realm and saw him when I woke up in the hospital, I was so happy to see him. Things changed after that though. He got clingy himself. He wouldn't let me make my own choices, started getting upset at me for being angry at my probation officer. He's just so damn overprotective."

 

Pythor's tail started flicking more and more as he went on, and he crossed his arms as he looked at something to distract himself.

 

"Have you always felt this way towards him?"

 

"No. Back when I was a prince, he was a lot more supportive. He let me play with his children, brought me out on camping trips, read stories to me, lots of stuff. Couldn't do it all the time, but we weren't short on it since my own parents felt like they hardly wanted anything to do with me. They just made me stay in the library and do studies for hours upon hours all the time."

 

"Once I got banished though, things changed. I wanted to stay with Arcturus, but he said he couldn't keep me because I wouldn't be safe there. I went out to find my own home, and didn't see him for at least 80 years. Now, he's acting just like me."

 

"Could you please explain?"

 

"When he came back, he was eager to learn about the technological achievements in the last 45 years, and he wouldn't stop dragging me out of my room to watch movies and tv with him, and he wouldn't leave me alone. I also overheard him telling my mum that he doesn't know how he sees himself." Pythor sighed and leaned back more, reaching out to play with the leaves on a plant. "You know what's funny? He has his own mood swings that can last for hours or days, and he gets angry just like me, yet he's quick to condemn me for mine and for pointing his out."

 

"I know you said that he acts a lot like you, and I have noted that down, but how do you see yourself? Give me your perspective."

 

He gave a weak chuckle and an even weaker smile as he looked up at her. "I honestly wish I knew what to tell you, but I don't have the slightest clue." He clasped his hands together and looked down for a moment. "I always thought I was a good person, but I used to be a lot worse."

 

“How so?”

 

"I had always cared for serpentine of both sexes and all genders, as well as members of lower classes. Once I was exiled, I became the boss of a mafia and also the mayor in Myonlac. I used my power to destroy human businesses and lives to give serpentine a place to live where they were free and equal. Plus, when the war came to the city, I fought with the local militia against the human forces in a siege and battle that lasted over three months.”

 

“I led the serpentine revolution because of how humans treated serpentine P.O.W.s and because I wanted serpentine to have equality, and I unleashed the devourer because of it. Thousands of people died or became homeless because of my actions then and during my helping of Sköll's takeover."

 

"Adrian was right about me. I only did what I did to prove to myself that it wasn't my fault what happened to my people as a kid. I was too afraid to stand up to my parents. I just took their slaps and hits like a little hatchling."

 

"Did they hit you regularly?"

 

"Kind of. They did this for years. I age slower than most serpentine, so it went on for a long time. I wish that I could have stopped it, and what they were doing to the other serpentine, but I was too afraid, and now I'm seen as a monster."

 

Pythor noticed Jesshema glancing at her watch, even though she tried to be subtle about it, and he sighed when he looked up at the wall clock. "'Our time is up', isn't it?"

 

"Not quite, we have about 10 minutes left, although I always schedule an extra 10 just in case someone has something they really want to get out there."

 

"It's alright, I know other people may have appointments."

 

"Would you like to cover anything else?"

 

"Yeah, I'm having problems with my girlfriend, and my brother's girlfriend. They're saying I'm wanting to spend too much time with them, and they're starting to get annoyed with me. Now Newt is saying I'm treating her the same way Arcturus treated me, which I hated. I just want to have friends, but I keep pushing too hard. I just want all of this to stop, I want to be done with my shitty life."

 

Jesshema paused as she tapped a pencil against her fingers and looked up. "Pythor, I would like to ask you something that could be considered sensitive, and I want you to know that it is okay to answer honestly. There is no shame in it."

 

He sighed and hung his head. "Go ahead… I think I know what it is."

 

"Are you having thoughts of suicide or self harm?"

 

He crossed his arms and looked down at his tail, and paused before he flipped it over, showing scar lines on the bottom of it. "Yes, to both. How is this not shameful? It's seen as cowardly and selfish."

 

"Well, it is seen like that by a lot of people, but people who say that do not understand the mental health of others. The idea that suicide is attention-seeking and shameful is flawed and a stigma that we are working to erase."

 

Pythor held himself tighter and looked away, trying several times to find what to say, but being unable to.

 

"You're not alone, Pythor. There are lots of people out there who are going through what you are. Maybe not the exact circumstances or for the same reasons, but they feel just the same."

 

"I don't want to die, Jesshema. I'm going to be a father, but I don't know how to handle myself. No one wants to give me a chance, listen to me, or forgive me for what I've done. I just feel like a ticking time bomb."

 

"Well, that's why I'm here, and why I do what I do. I'll listen to you, and try to provide the best kind of help that I can for you."

 

Pythor looked back up at her with wide eyes, still holding his tail to his chest. "Can you tell me what's wrong with me?"

 

"I don't really think there's anything wrong with anyone per se, just things that people want or need help with. I also have a rule for myself against diagnosing on the first visit. A lot of disorders and conditions can have overlapping signs or symptoms, and so I need to look at my notes and perform research to determine what you may or may not have, and create a treatment plan accordingly. It may take multiple visits.”

 

"I understand. I guess I'll see you in a few weeks?"

 

"Yes, but if you need anything urgent before then, feel free to call or email me, and I'll see what I can do, just understand that I won't respond right away if I am in a session with a client. I also have some resources I'd like to offer you to check out before you leave, if you're interested"

 

"I understand, and thank you for seeing me. I feel a little better getting this out there." He said as he got up.

 

"It's what I do."

 

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[3/26/16 - 10:10 am]

 

Pythor slithered through the main doors of the Smooth Stone public library and made his way to a conference room, where several humans, dragons, and serpentine were seated.

 

"Hey Pythor, glad you could make it." A male constrictai said as he tilted his fedora.

 

"Thanks Erik." Pythor replied as he coiled up on a seat. "Sorry I'm late Fangdam, my bus driver was playing on his phone at a couple of stops."

 

"It's alright." He signed and gestured at Pythor's right arm. "I see you have a new arm now. How is it feeling?"

 

"Better than it did last week. I'm starting to get more used to it. I think I might be able to start signing with it.”

 

"Well, that's good to hear." He said.

 

"Would you mind if I translated for you, at least for when you're not talking to me?" Pythor asked and smiled when Fangdam nodded.

 

"I can translate for when he is." Erik said and turned to Pythor. "So, how are you doing?"

 

"I've been… doing alright I guess. If you can call feeling crushed by everything alright." He said and looked down at the floor.

 

"Has something changed since the last time we met?" A dark-skinned human asked as she scratched her head.

 

"Yeah, a lot of stuff, Olivia. I'm going to be a father soon. My girlfriend is supposed to lay our eggs and her mate's any day now. Yeah, I'm in a three-way relationship, but we're making it work." He explained.

 

“Hey, congratulations! That's great to hear!” Erik said, making Pythor smile slightly.

 

“Well, it wasn't for my PO. He said I wasn't allowed to travel north to the monastery to see them when they were laid or hatched. For stupid bullshit reasons. My brother suggested I call Terra and Wisp to see if they could come down here to live with us. Seven days after they arrived, we received a letter saying that my wrist monitor now costs $185 a week."

 

"That sounds like retaliation if you ask me." Fangdam said as his mouths turned downwards.

 

"Oh no, it's a 'software update'. Retaliation is illegal, and has to be proven in court." Pythor replied and crossed his arms over his chest. “Punishing me for being happy…”

 

"Pythor, we've talked about this before. It's very suspicious that King Skales is agreeing to share custody of justice with those xenophobes in the Ninjago government. It's not like him." Erik said.

 

"Tsk, yes it is. When I talked with him in Metalonia, he said that I should have di-that I shouldn't have hurt Princess Spira. He even told Arcturus that he'd also hold him accountable for anything I did in this country while living here, meaning jail time."

 

"Yeah, that's messed up." Fangdam said. "Maybe that's why both here and Ninjago are giving you so much trouble. It's not right."

 

"All this stress is just driving me crazy. My girlfriend feels like I'm smothering her, Ninjago wants me arrested and is punishing my family for actions that weren't even entirely mine, and my relationship with Arcturus is falling apart." Pythor said and sighed. "Yesterday I bought a pack of cigarettes and almost smoked one. I just… I can't forget how good I thought it felt to smoke or drink all my worries away. But I'm going to have children now. I have to stop this.”

 

"Yeah, I know how that feels." Erik said. "I started drinking after the serpentine war. I was so lonely and lost after I lost my parents in it, always hiding and having to steal to survive. I drank so much that I probably fucked my liver up for good."

 

"People look at me and think 'once an addict, always an addict'." Pythor sighed. "Feels like I'll always be hated by others."

 

"That's… it's not that simple. People really need to get it drilled into their heads that recovering from addiction is not a linear process, nor is it as simple as 'just stopping'. Show of hands who tried to quit cold turkey?" Olivia asked, and most of the hands in the room went up, Pythor's included. "Now who did it work for?" All the hands went down.

 

"Olivia's right. Addiction also isn't forever. Yes, it does change how your brain functions, but it doesn't have to change who you are or what you do." Erik agreed. "It took me a long time to learn that trying to meet the expectations and standards of others will only make me feel empty. Once I realized that, I actually started feeling a lot better about myself."

 

"You really think that will work for me?"

 

"I don't know. What works for one person may or may not work for another. Addiction is experienced differently for everyone."

 

Pythor sniffed and crossed his arms. "I hope something works. I just want to be free of this damn curse and all this stress. I don't know how much more of this I can live with. I just want it to stop for good."

 

"What do you mean?" Olivia asked

 

Pythor tensed up hard as his breath hitched in his body and his heart went into overdrive. He hadn't meant to say that out loud. His mind scrambled as he tried to find a way to play this off.

 

"I'm worried my probation officer is going to impose more restrictions on me. I don't want to cause any trouble or make things worse though. My family is already having to pay so much just for my monitoring. They don't need to pay anymore."

 

"I think Erik was right when he said that you should look into that. GPS monitors don't actually cost that much to maintain or operate. I think these people are trying to get you back into prison, and are punishing you through your family since the Supreme Court exonerated you." Fangdam said.

 

Pythor sighed when Fangdam bought his excuse.

 

"Alright, I'll talk to my family about it, see if we can figure out if anything's going on."

 

Once the meeting was over, Pythor got up to leave and made it to the hallway before Erik stopped him. "Hey, Pythor, are you doing okay?"

 

He blinked and looked around. "Um, yeah, aside from what I said in there about probation, but I'll look into it."

 

Erik remained silent for several seconds, making Pythor fidget as he looked at the door and his watch. "Alright, well, I hope you get it figured out. We're here if you need to talk, okay?"

 

Pythor tried to put on a smile as he nodded and they bid farewell to each other, but Pythor sighed and slithered after him. "Erik… hold on."

 

He stopped and looked back over at Pythor with his head tilted. "Hm? Yes?"

 

"When's the last time you drank any alcohol?"

 

"Ummm… let's see. I think it was a little over 5 months ago. Why?"

 

"How do you do it? Serpentine are still discriminated against by a lot of humans, and you've said before that drinking made you feel good, that it gave you an escape. How do you still stay sober with that still going on?"

 

Erik gestured for Pythor to follow him, and they sat down on a bench under a tree.

 

"I'll be honest with you, it isn't easy. I know I said that I learned that trying to please everyone won't make me happy, but I still have to remind myself of that from time to time."

 

Pythor sighed and looked down at the concrete as he tried to keep himself together, and he didn't realize how tense he was until he felt Erik's scaled hand on his shoulder. Erik gave him a small smile, and Pythor returned a weak one before he wrapped his arm around his shoulders.

 

"I wish I could just get over this stuff, that I can feel like I can live a satisfying life. I'm not even talking about probation and all, I just, wish I knew who I am."

 

"I understand. I'm still working on that myself. When I met Jay, Cole, and the other ninja at Chen's tournament, they came to sit with me when I was alone at a table, and they gave me the confidence to show them that I was a serpentine. Now I'm wanting to be out in the world, maybe work as a first responder, like a police officer, or a chef, or an artist."

 

"Those are good things to do. I like that you're thinking about being a police officer. We definitely need more good people in them. I don't know what I'll do though." Pythor said and leaned back as he looked up at the budding flowers on the trees

 

“I'm sure you'll figure things out. You're a smart and caring man."

 

"Thanks Erik, it was really nice talking with you. I'll see you later, okay?"

 

"Sure thing. Make sure you let me know if we're doing minigolf anytime soon!"

 

Pythor nodded and got to a clear area, taking on his dragon form and took off.

Chapter 14: The Lady and the Wolf

Summary:

Pythor has another date night with Salome, but a sudden blizzard derails their plans and almost causes them to crash their car. Pythor finds himself forced to break his probation when he is forced to spend the night with Salome, but the night quickly turns steamy when the ambience hits just right. Salome is determined to relieve his stress and fears, and he happily embraces the girl of his dreams and the wolfdog who wants a bite of the action as well~

Edited 7/31/25 to add changes to serpentine culture and let Raven in on the lewd fun.

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[5:55 pm]

 

Pythor rang the doorbell to Salome's house and bounced slightly as he waited for the door to open. It felt like it had been weeks since they last saw each other, even though it had only been one.

 

Finally, the door opened and Salome smiled up at Pythor, who could only gaze at her in complete silence. She had her amber hair wrapped up in a low ponytail, and her eyes were perfectly framed with black eyeliner.

 

"Pythor? Did you hear me?" She asked, tilting her head with a smile, and he shook his head.

 

"S-sorry, no. You just look so gorgeous. I think you look really nice tonight." He said, almost sounding breathless.

 

"I said that I like how your scales and your jacket looks, and that this look really fits you." Her eyes were drawn to his right sleeve, and she gasped. "Oh, I didn't even notice this! You got a prosthetic arm?"

 

He chuckled and nodded as he took off the glove on his right hand and pulled his sleeve up. "Yeah, a new friend of mine named Eratos made this. I can grab things with it, and I can even feel things such as the cold, or your pretty face."

 

She giggled and gently brushed his hand away. "Mmm, I love that scent on you. What is it?"

 

"Vantablack. It's supposed to suck you right in." He said with a grin.

 

"Well, we should probably get going. It will take us a little longer to get to the Smooth Stone grille with all this snow on the road."

 

Pythor nodded and led her over to his car, then buckled in, started it up, and headed down the road to the restaurant. A short while later, Pythor pulled into a handicapped spot at the restaurant next to the entrance.

 

"You sure you can park here?" Salome asked as Pythor gathered his things.

 

"Yeah, I checked with the department of transportation, and I qualify for handicapped parking because of my arm." He said and took her hand as he led her up to the restaurant.

 

Inside, there was quite a line for seating, but Pythor and Salome went over to another counter and showed their reservation. They were soon led to their table, and ordered their drinks.

 

"So, how have you been lately, Sally? You seem like you're getting around okay. Have you returned to the field yet?"

 

"Actually, yeah. I'm still having to be careful how I move, but at least I was able to get the brace removed. Now I don't have to deal with this big, clunky piece of metal on my leg." She smiled and picked out an appetizer with Pythor once the server came over, and looked back into his eyes. "I really want to thank you, Pyth, for getting me to rest. It's because of you that I was able to return to the field so soon."

 

Pythor clasped his hands as he smiled back at her. "What can I say? I love you, and I want to see you healthy." His smile shifted to a slight frown as he looked down at his hands. "I'm sorry about last week. I told you to focus on your work, then wanted to distract you from it just so we could eat or something."

 

"It's alright. I know we had been apart for several days, but I just wanted some time to myself so that I can feel more independent. We already see each other so often, you know?"

 

"Yeah, I do. It's just… it's been so long since I've felt this way for someone, ever since Xiuh so long ago."

 

"Who's that?"

 

He tensed and took a sip of his water before he decided to answer. "She was my wife… a long time ago. She helped me realize how much I was becoming like my parents and kept me from following in their path… until she… until she was taken from me…"

 

He put his cup down and gripped it tightly as he remembered the burning house that he stood in front of, watching with horror as it crumbled into ash along with his family.

 

"Let this be a lesson, son. Disobey us again, and you will pay the price."

 

He was snapped out of his nightmarish memory by the feeling of Salome taking his hands into hers, and he noticed that she had moved from her seat over to his.

 

"I'm so sorry, Pythor." She said, and gently reached up to wipe the tears off of his scales. Pythor closed his eyes and wrapped both of his arms around her body, holding her tightly to him as she did the same. He heard food being set down on the table, but the server didn't ask them anything as the rivers of tears flowed down his eyes.

 

A few minutes later, Pythor and Salome pulled apart and gazed into each other's eyes. Pythor smiled and craned his head down, gently pressing his lips to hers as he kept a hand pressed to the small of her back.

 

“Thanks, honey. I really needed this.”

 

She nodded, and Pythor looked down when he heard his stomach growling and felt his mouth curl when Salome started giggling.

 

"Yeah, let's get to eating, I'm starving too."

 

Pythor smiled more and started to put some of the chicken strips onto his plate and eat them as he looked outside to see huge snowflakes falling.

 

"Have I ever told you how much I love snow? And how winter is my favorite season?" Pythor asked.

 

"I don't think so, no."

 

"I remember sneaking out of my room in the royal palace all the time to build snowmen and stuff. My father would have to use the anacondrai staff to find me when I was invisible. Me and my siblings with Arcturus would have snowball fights all the time."

 

"Sounds like you had a lot of fun. I'm surprised you like winter so much though. I figured serpentine got cold in it."

 

"Oh trust me, we do if it's cold enough. Although serpentine are warm-blooded, we don't retain heat that well, so we have to dress up to stay warm or use magic to shield ourselves if it's like -16° C or something. Serpentine like myself also have to wear tubes on our tails to avoid frostbite. Thankfully they're very resistant to friction, so they don't tear."

 

Salome was about to open her mouth to respond, but froze. Pythor turned to see what she was looking at, and saw two people, one with red hair, and another with brown looking at them.

 

"Who is that?" Pythor asked.

 

"My parents." She said, and Pythor felt his heart turn cold as they walked over.

 

"Hello, Salome." The man said, and gave Pythor a look that made his face harden. "I see you look well situated."

 

"Indeed I am, we're having a date right now. Maybe we can talk later." She said and took a bite of her chicken fingers.

 

The woman's face scrunched up when she heard that. "'A date'? You're actually dating one of these creatures? You know he's a terrorist right?"

 

Pythor hissed as he gripped the table tightly and glared at her. "Don't call me a creature. I think and feel just like you do. And, if you paid attention to the news, you'd know that I was cleared of everything."

 

"My wife wasn't talking to you, snake . But since you're so smart, explain the monitor on your arm there, hm? Got an explanation for that?"

 

"Yeah, it's called fucking bullshit, that's what. It's a pathetic measure of control administered out of spite. And I don't get why you're so worried about who your daughter chooses to spend her life with when you seem to care so little about hers."

 

"Pythor is right, I can date whoever I want. I also do not appreciate you coming up and ruining our dinner." Salome said as she glared at them.

 

"You haven't been responding to our calls. I hope you know that it cost us a lot of money to have my truck repaired and to find a replacement vehicle, since you wouldn't give up yours." Her father said.

 

"I have work I need to do now! And might I remind you, it cost me over $100,000 to go to college, which you wouldn't pay for."

 

"Oh my god, let it go already!" The man groaned as he rolled his eyes. "You made your choice. We told you that accounting would have given you a better career path in your life. Plus, you could have done it while you were stuck at home."

 

"Will you two leave us alone already? We're trying to eat dinner! Get the fuck away from us." Pythor hissed

 

"Or what, vermin ?" The man sneered as he leaned down towards him.

 

Pythor clenched his right hand, and rainbow sparks started to run along it, but a large, dark-furred wolf came up behind Salome's parents.

 

"You got a good reason for disturbing Canicula's patrons?"

 

"Who the fuck are you? We're having a conversation that doesn't involve you." The woman said.

 

"I'm the man who's gon' bounce your asses out onto the ice if you don't walk on out or shut up. Which is it gonna be?"

 

Salome's father looked up at the bouncer, who was almost a full head taller than him and boasted a maw of sharp teeth. He seethed as he looked back at Pythor before walking away with his wife.

 

“I'm terribly sorry about that, if they come back and treat anyone like that again, they won't be coming back a third time.” The wolf said.

 

“Thanks, Saxon. We appreciate it.” Salome said, and he gave a quick nod before he walked away.

 

"Is everything alright now?" Pythor looked up from his plate to see Canicula standing next to them.

 

"I don't know, we were having a pretty good time before my asshole parents showed up. They kind of ruined the mood."

 

"Well, I'm sorry for what I'm about to tell you then." She said. "You might want to get dessert to go."

 

"What? Why?" Pythor wondered.

 

"The wind and snowfall are really picking up. A blizzard warning and state of emergency were just declared 5 minutes ago."

 

"Shit, I'll have to get home soon." Pythor said. "Can we make an order and get it to go?"

 

Canicula paused for a moment, and nodded. "Alright, what will you have?"

 

Pythor and Salome both placed their orders, and Canicula slithered back into the kitchen. Pythor looked out the window, and shuddered as he saw how hard the snow was blowing.

 

"I hope I make it back home."

 

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"Alright, here you are." Pythor said as he opened the door to Salome's house, which immediately blew open and smacked into the bathroom doorframe.

 

River ran up to the door and started sniffing both of them, rubbing her thick fur against them. Raven also followed her over and shut the door with a claw.

 

"Pythor, I really don't think you should go out. Please, don't."

 

Salome had grabbed his right hand, and he felt her fingers moving between his. He sighed and shut the door behind him so they wouldn't freeze, and looked into her pleading eyes.

 

"I know, but I need to be home by 9:00 pm. It's still 8:08 pm. If I'm careful, I should be back home by then."

 

"We almost spun out three times in the snow and wind, and there's at least 10 cm of snow on the road now. I'm worried you'll crash or have a tree branch fall on you. I feel like being careful is staying here where you're safe."

 

He reluctantly pulled his hand out of hers, feeling her grasp at his fingers slightly as they left. "I need to do this, Sally. If I don't go home, they'll cut my curfew and raise my monitor cost. Besides, I need to charge my monitor."

 

He turned the door handle and was about to open it, but felt a pinch on his tail and looked back to see River holding it in her teeth. "River, let go of my tail."

 

The wolfdog growled and tried to pull him away from the door, but he frowned and yanked his tail out of her mouth, drawing a growl from her.

 

"Goodbye Sally, I'll let you know when I'm home." He said, only to get slammed into the door by Raven's talons. The hippogriff glared at him with his piercing golden eyes, and nodded towards Salome.

 

He glanced at her, and immediately regretted it when he saw how watery her eyes were. She was holding her hands together and tight to her chest. "Please, don't go…"

 

His heart sank as he closed his eyes and looked away. "What can I do?"

 

"Tell them the truth. Tell them that the blizzard struck sooner than you thought it would, and that a state of emergency was declared. Don't you think that it's not safe?"

 

"It doesn't matter what I think. They don't care"

 

Salome grabbed him by the shoulders once Raven released him and turned him to face her. "I care. What you think matters to me."

 

More tears leaked from his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

 

"Salome… I'm scared. I don't know what to do. I want to go home so I can charge my gps monitor, but I don't feel safe driving in all that thick snow. I haven't seen this much in ages. I'm afraid I'll die if I go out there."

 

"You can stay here with me. I have toiletries and stuff that you can use. We can have dinner here, maybe watch a movie in a pillow fort."

 

"What's a pillow fort?"

 

"You've never made one as a kid? Pillows and blankets stacked on top of each other and hung on things?"

 

"I grew up in a palace, and had servants clean my room. So, no."

 

Salome smiled and patted his chest. "Well, we can do that together after we have dinner. Why don't you get yourself plugged in and charge up that monitor of yours? Give your probation officer a call too to let them know where you are and what the situation is.”

 

"Alright, I'll get right to it." He agreed, and immediately slithered off to make the call. He sighed when he got the voicemail, but left a message anyways. Raven followed him out to grab his food and chargers, shielding him with a wing so he could bring them back in as soon as he could. He got sat down with Salome after warming up his food, and started eating it.

 

As soon as he finished his meal, the lights flickered out.

 

"Aw shit… a tree probably fell on a power line leading here." Salome said as Pythor looked at his wrist monitor.

 

"I only got up to 20%. Damn."

 

"Don't worry, I think I have some charged power banks around here you can use.”

 

He shook his head. “Sorry, custom charger cord.”

 

“Oh, well, in the meantime, could you help me light some candles around here for light? Then we can get the pillow fort made."

 

Pythor nodded and got to work with her and Raven, starting to smile as he lit the candles and got the wood stove going for heat, then began stringing up blankets and pillows with her guidance. As it came together, he gasped and grinned as an idea struck him.

 

"Hey, I don't know about a movie, but I was thinking, maybe I could play my guitar for you instead? I know a lot of songs that I could strum up."

 

Her smile lit a fire in his heart. "I'd love that. A blizzard raging outside, crackling firewood, candles and colorful lights, I'd say the mood is set."

 

Pythor grinned and dashed over to get his guitar and slithered back under the blankets, coiling up next to Salome and resting against Raven's side, while River slept on the floor next to them.

 

"Sweetie, you have no idea what you're in for." He said as he pressed his fingers to the strings and readied his guitar pick.

 

"Yeah

 

I've been tryna call

I've been on my own for long enough

Maybe you can show me how to love, maybe

I'm going through withdrawals

You don't even have to do too much

You can turn me on with just a touch, baby

 

I look around and

Sin City's cold and empty (oh)

No one's around to judge me (oh)

I can't see clearly when you're gone

 

I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights

No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch

I said, ooh, I'm drowning in the night

Oh, when I'm like this, you're the one I trust

(Hey, hey, hey)

 

I'm running out of time

'Cause I can see the sun light up the sky

So I hit the road in overdrive, baby, oh

 

The city's cold and empty (oh)

No one's around to judge me (oh)

I can't see clearly when you're gone

 

I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights

No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch

I said, ooh, I'm drowning in the night

Oh, when I'm like this, you're the one I trust

 

I'm just walking by to let you know (by to let you know)

I can never say it on the phone (say it on the phone)

Will never let you go this time (ooh)

 

I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights

No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch

(Hey, hey, hey)

 

(Hey, hey, hey)

 

I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights

No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch"

 

As soon as he was finished, Pythor looked over to see Salome leaning forward with her knees on her elbows and her eyes sparkling.

 

"Oh wow, I had no idea you could sing so well. Your voice is so wonderful."

 

His eyes widened slightly and he looked away. "You-you really think it's nice? I thought my voice was all raspy and gravelly because of my smoking."

 

"No, it sounds nice. I mean it when I say that it's the best voice I have ever heard. I've never heard anyone sing like you before."

 

Pythor's heart fluttered, and he was grateful that it was impossible for serpentine to blush. He looked down at his guitar and smiled.

 

"I love singing, even more than painting. When I sing, I feel so free, like nothing or no one can hold me down."

 

"Just like that song. Can you sing some more?"

 

He nodded and picked his guitar back up with a smile. "I'd love to."

 

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"When do you think the power will come back on?" Pythor wondered as they watched a dvd of an anime.

 

"Probably not until tomorrow. It's still raging outside. Thanks for casting those spells to keep my stuff from thawing out."

 

"Thanks for letting me put my car in your garage. And yeah, the winds are still howling. There's probably at least a meter of snow out there."

 

Pythor looked up as he saw River trotting past them again, her tail flicking here and there, and Pythor's tongue flicked out several times.

 

"Hey, do you know what that scent is? It smells kind of sweet, and I think it's coming from River."

 

"Huh? No. Oh wait, it might be River. She's in heat right now. You can smell her?"

 

"Yeah, serpentine have pretty great senses of smell." He said, and noticed that when River laid down near them, that her spade was puffy and moist. Pythor shrugged and continued watching the episode with Salome, sighing happily once it ended. “You know, I used to watch stuff like this with Lloyd during the short time we were together. He had to show me how DVDs worked since I missed their invention.”

“It must have been a fun learning experience for you. I love retro technology like vinyl records, VCRs, 8-tracks, and old gaming consoles. I feel like so much has been lost or forgotten about, but it’s nice that they’re making a comeback. It’s weird though that we still have all that stuff at the same time we have flying cars, analog reality, and digitization technology.”

“Tell me about it.” Pythor chuckled, and silence fell for a few moments.

 

"You know, I love listening to noise like this." Salome said as she gestured to the windows. "It's always so relaxing and really easy to get to sleep with."

 

"I agree. I just wish I knew a more regular way to."

 

"Have you ever heard of white noise?" Salome asked as she rested her head against his shoulder, and he shook his head. "It's some kind of relaxing sound wave. People make machines for it, and you can even stream it on your phone."

 

"What kinds are there?"

 

"Oh as many as you can think of. There's rain, snow, riding on a train, smooth jazz at a coffee shop, outer space, cyberpunk, cracking fire, etc."

 

"Can't believe I've never known about that. I know so much about computers now despite not knowing anything about them around 5 years ago, and I never knew I could listen to that stuff."

 

"The more you know."

 

He smiled and looked down at her, gently running his prosthetic hand over her cheek. "I love knowing more about you."

 

She smiled and looked up at him as she sat up. "Did you know that violet is my favorite color?"

 

"Bet you can't wait till I shed and return to my normal color then, huh?"

 

"You have no idea." She said, and leaned in for a quick kiss, which he was all too happy to return.

 

"You know, I haven't felt this at ease in a long time. I'm still a little anxious about probation, but… I'm really glad I didn't go out. If I had, I could have been in a crash like that one on the radio."

 

"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll understand. They can't fault you for the weather, much as they might want to. Besides, it's only one night, it's not like you do this regularly."

 

"Yeah, probably." He said and hugged her. "Salome, I really love you. You've really helped me out so much tonight, and I just can't thank you enough."

 

"You're welcome, Pythor. I don't know where I'd be without you."

 

"Probably dead."

 

Her jaw dropped and she lightly shoved him, but he grinned at the smile on her face.

 

"What? The doctors said you would be!"

 

"You don't have to say it like that!"

 

Pythor grinned and pulled her down with him, and found himself breathing softly as he looked up at her. Her hair looked alive, and her eyes shone in the flickering candlelight.

 

She laid down over him and pressed her mouth to his again, taking a hand and pressing it to the base of his neck and shoulders. Pythor turned his head to the side and flicked at her mouth with his tongue, and she opened hers to let him in.

 

Pythor found his breaths leaving him as he explored her mouth with his more nimble tongue, and ran his hands down her back and to her rear.

 

Salome pulled away panting after wrestling with his tongue for a minute and smiled at him. "Want to tell me what's poking me in my thigh right now?"

 

He smirked and flicked her nose. "Nah."

 

"Hmmm… maybe I'll have to take a look then."

 

He grinned now and leaned back against Raven's feathers, looking right down at her. "By all means, go right ahead."

 

Salome giggled and scooted back to look down at the hemipenes emerging from a slit at the base of Pythor's tail, each 20 cm in length.

 

"Holy… you're so big."

 

"Yeah, think you can handle them?"

 

She looked up at him and smirked while rolling her eyes. "Yeah, I could even take them both at once."

 

Salome reached down and wrapped her hand around one of Pythor's shafts, making him relax as she began to gently stroke him. "You're so big. I can't wait to feel you inside me, sweetie."

 

"I don't have any condoms on me."

 

"It's okay, I have an IUD, it should prevent any pregnancy from occurring." She said and stroked him faster, making him grip the pillows as he began to twitch in her grip.

 

"Good, cause I-I'm definitely not looking to have any more children right now. Oh fuck…" He said, his voice leaving him in a gasp as she took one of his shafts into her mouth, while pumping the other one in one of her hands. "Quetzal… your mouth is warm."

 

Salome smiled and slid her tongue along his cock as she lathered it up, humming as she slipped a hand down her pants to press a finger inside her, drawing a soft moan from her.

 

"Mind if I help you with that?" He asked as he looked down at her, a gleam in his red eyes.

 

Salome nodded and reached down to pull off her pants and underwear, and turned around so that she was straddling Pythor's chest. He huffed at the sight of her butt and her slit, and reached up to cup her rear end with his hands.

 

Her skin was so soft and smooth. Is this how human bodies felt? He shuddered as Salome continued her ministrations on his cock, and remembered that he was supposed to return the favor.

 

Pythor ran his tongue along her slit and smiled slightly when she shuddered herself, and he continued doing just that as she bobbed her head on him. He pushed his tongue inside her and flicked the tip of it against the walls of her passage, making her moan around him.

 

The warmth that filled his body was immense. He was holding the woman that he loved right between his hands, the woman who took all of his worries away, who kept him grounded and stable. He wanted nothing more than to spend this kind of life with her, every day and every night.

 

He felt himself begin to twitch and throb even more, and it became increasingly difficult to focus on pleasuring her. His tail had started flexing and curling on its own, and groans left his mouth as he was forced to pull his mouth away from her, just to catch his breath.

 

Salome started sucking even harder on his shaft, and jerking the other even faster. He squeezed her butt more firmly as he tensed up even more, his cocks throbbing one final time before groaned as he started pumping his seed inside her mouth and all over her back.

 

She didn't stop either, no, she pressed her mouth firmly as deep as she could, and swallowed as he continued cumming into her mouth for almost 30 seconds. She pulled off as soon as she had swallowed the last of it, and panted.

 

"Wow… that was… a lot." She said as she licked her lips and looked back at him. "You sure looked like you enjoyed that. Both of you."

 

"Fuck yeah… damn… I haven't felt that good in a long time." He said as he ran a thumb along her slit, drawing a soft moan from her as he pressed it inside her. "Where'd you learn to do that?"

 

"I've had… mmmm… a couple of boyfriends before. Neither of them were serpentine though." She said, and glared back at Raven when he snickered.

 

Pythor pressed his mouth back to her vagina, flicking it with his tongue again as he relished in her warmth. "I've never been with a human before. Can't believe this is how great one feels."

 

Salome started to respond, but her voice left her in a sharp gasp as she felt Pythor press his tongue inside her again. While it wasn't as big as a human's, his tongue was a lot more nimble and didn't get tired as easily.

 

Pythor ran his tongue along every part of her he could find, flicking it at the areas that made her gasp, shiver, or moan for more. None of those more so than her clit. When he flicked his tongue against that, her thighs squeezed his head, but he didn't mind, and just kept licking.

 

Her walls started twitching more and more as her moans more desperate as he went on, until it proved to be too much for her. A groan left her mouth as her pussy fluttered around his tongue, and he eagerly lapped up the juices that squirted onto his mouth.

 

Salome panted as she got off of him and flopped on her side next to him, resting a hand on his scaled chest. "Shit… you're really good."

 

"Thanks. But if you thought that was good, just wait until I have both of my cocks inside you." He chuckled and flicked his tongue at her lips.

 

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While he was still resting from his orgasm,  Pythor shuddered and grunted as he felt something warm against his cocks, and looked down to see River lapping at him.

 

Salome looked down and gasped, and sat up straight as she tried to push the wolfdog away. "River! No! Shoo!"

 

River didn't budge though, keeping at her mission of licking the cum off his tips, making Pythor groan as she looked up at him. She pressed her nose to his slit and sniffed deeply a few times before she turned around and lifted her tail up and to the side, exposing her puffy black spade to him.

 

"Is she…?" Pythor asked as he looked up and flicked his tongue out, catching her scent and feeling a tingle rush over his scales.

 

"Oh… I didn't think this is what she was going for." Salome said, chuckling as she held a hand over her mouth. Even giggling when River huffed and stomped her feet, widening her hind legs slightly. "Man, she really wants you."

 

Even Raven was snickering at the demands River was making of him, and had reached behind Pythor to start fondling his own cock.

 

"That doesn't disgust you? If it's not illegal in some places it's really taboo. Even some serpentine see this as wrong."

 

"Not really. I'm of the belief that animals are smart enough to decide for themselves whether or not they want something like this. I know if some guy tries to shove his hand inside a mare, and she doesn't want it, he's going to lose teeth, and that's if he's lucky."

 

River growled slightly, making Salome and Raven laugh more, and Pythor looked over at them again, who pointed towards River. Pythor rolled onto his stomach and craned his head towards River, flicking his tongue out more as he got close, and reached up with his left hand to press a thumb to her.

 

River relaxed as Pythor slipped his thumb inside her and she pushed back as he started rubbing against her. He pulled his thumb out soon after and noticed just how wet it was.

 

"Damn… she's in heat bad ." He said and looked behind him. "Hmmm… River, come over here." He patted the ground, and she walked over and laid down next to him after Salome moved out of the way. He put his hand on her side and gently nudged her, and she rolled onto her back.

 

"She loves having her belly rubbed." Salome said as she sat back and watched Pythor run a hand over River's belly, rubbing his fingers over her teats and squeezing them as he made his way down to her vulva.

 

"Oh I'm not just going to be rubbing her belly." He chuckled and lowered his head down between her legs. He carefully pressed his hands to her spade and spread her black folds open, exposing her hot pink insides. He grabbed his phone with his tail and gave it to Salome. "Here, I'll want to share this later."

 

She nodded and set the phone to record, and focused on covering River's spade as he licked it.

 

Pythor shuddered as his tongue picked up all of her intense scent, and he felt his cocks twitch. After several moments of enjoying it, he pressed his mouth to her spade and began rubbing his tongue against it. River huffed and relaxed as he flicked his tongue around her opening, but tensed up and whined when he stuck his tongue deeper inside her.

 

He glanced up when he heard her whine, afraid he was making her uncomfortable, but saw her chest rising and falling rapidly as she panted from his licking. He felt his chest warm at being able to make the dog who had given him comfort so much pleasure.

 

He pressed his tongue in even deeper, and felt her tunnel get even more active around him. He snapped his eyes up when he felt one of her paws pressing against the top of his head, as if to say "you're not going anywhere until I'm satisfied".

 

She held him even more firmly as he licked at her faster, and she panted faster as well. Pythor moved his hands to tenderly rub and squeeze at her thighs, doing so all over and up to her butt. She let out a huff when he did that. He couldn't get enough of her scent, and especially her taste, both getting his body raring to go. The more he licked, the wetter she got, and more of the sweet, tangy taste of her juices filled his mouth.

 

Pythor felt her clit under his tongue and focused all of his attention on that, and it had quite an effect on River. She tensed up hard as he pressed his tongue to her nub and swirled it around. The twitching of her walls got even faster, and she let out a shrill whine as she bucked against him after a minute of this, a rush of her juices squirting out against his snout and filling his mouth.

 

He pulled back not long after, panting heavily for breath as River rolled onto her side, panting just as heavily as he was. Pythor watched as her cookie twitched and tensed up in the aftermath of her orgasm, and looked down at his own cocks, then back at her.

 

"You wanna have sex with her?"

 

"Fuck yeah. If that's how she felt just from me licking her, I can't want to feel her around my cocks." He said as River looked over at him with a smile on her face, and he chuckled. "Besides, I doubt she'll let me rest until I've stuffed her full."

 

"Probably not." Salome agreed, holding the camera steady as River rolled onto her back for Pythor, and he carefully lied over her. Pythor reached back with one of his hands and pressed both cocks to her cookie, feeling the heat of it against him, which only got more intense when he pushed inside her.

 

"Fuuuuuuck… ahhhh shit…" He said after he pushed the heads inside and held her body tight. He looked up at her face, and saw that she was looking up at him, a light of desire in them matching the wide smile on her face. Pythor gently rubbed her head as he pushed in deeper, her orgasm keeping her passage slick for him, and allowing him to push almost all the way to the hilt.

 

"Quetzal… she's so hot and tight ." Pythor panted heavily as he felt River's tunnel squeezing and twitching against him. He carefully leaned over her, not being sure if she'd like his full weight on her belly. He rested his elbows on either side of her and slowly pulled out to the tips, feeling her pussy tug on him as he did, and pushed back in and sighed at how easy it was, even with him doing double vaginal.

 

River's mouth opened slightly as she kept her head lying back against the pillows, her eyes held shut as Pythor repeated his movements and kept pushing in and out of her. He smiled at how at ease she was, really enjoying the feeling of a male finally filling her, and he found himself resting his chest gently against her fluffy belly.

 

His mind flashed back to his Hessian Shepherd in Myonlac, Cara, and how she too would always be pressed to his side, wanting pets and treats. He remembered how he would feel licks against his crotch, and look under the desk to see her taking his cocks into her muzzle while looking him in the eyes. She would even crouch over him and take both of his cocks into her holes and buck against him until he filled her up.

 

He wondered if River could do the same thing, and how quickly she could learn. There was no doubt she was smart enough to, given how she held his head as he ate her out. Maybe he could try in the morning…

 

River started panting more as Pythor kept steadily driving his cocks into her, and he gently rubbed her neck as he pressed deeper into her until he was fully hilted, fur against scales. River hooked her paws against his shoulders and opened her eyes to look at him, softly growling with her mouth tilted up.

 

Pythor smiled and licked her snout, holding her tighter as he started thrusting into her harder, pressing her against the pillows. River's tongue lolled out of her mouth as she closed her eyes again, her panting getting louder as her tunnel squeezed down on him. Pythor opened his mouth and pressed it to River's muzzle, his muscles relaxing as she returned his kiss and started wrestling with his tongue.

 

He couldn't believe this was happening. If his monitor was on right now, he'd be sent straight to jail in Ninjago. While bestiality wasn't illegal in Arasi no tsuno, clear signs of sexual abuse or emotional distress in animals carried severe jail sentences and fines, but here River was, showing her sex to him and wanting him to fuck her wild.

 

Pythor adjusted his tail and began fucking her faster, and felt her paws holding onto him more tightly as she got rocked against the pillows. Her sex kept getting tighter around him and tugging against him every time he pulled out, although thrusting in was no issue due to how wet her heat-addled body was. The hardest part was keeping himself from blowing right then and there.

 

His hips became a blur as he fucked her faster and harder, burying his face in the fur of her neck as he grunted louder and louder. It was becoming almost impossible to hold himself back, especially with River humping against him and making loud huffs. Eventually, she tensed up again and clamped down hard on his cock, howling into the air as she came.

 

Pythor groaned with her as she squirted around him, thrusting in to the hilt as he shot his first streams of hot cum into her, shaking as her contractions around him drew rope after rope of cum out and into her womb, each pulse being aided by a powerful thrust. He held her tight and hilted her, grinding as the flow soon became too much and oozed out of her from around his cocks, dripping down their bodies.

 

"Nnnnggghhh… fuuuuuuck… good girl… good girl…" He panted, holding himself deep inside her as his cocks lightly twitched in her.

 

River was heaving for air in slow, but heavy breaths, tongue still hanging out of her mouth with her eyes half-lidded, and Pythor waited until her orgasm ended before he pulled out of her. A wet "schlick" could be heard as he did and flopped back, his cocks slowly receding into his slit as he watched cum ooze out of River's spade.

 

Salome leaned in close on River's leaking pussy, the cum leaving her fur matted, and panned up past her rounded belly to show her silly face before ending the video.

 

"Holy shit… you filled her up so much." Salome gasped as she put the phone away. "16 minutes of fucking. Hope you still have some left for me."

 

"I got plenty. Can probably go one more round, gonna… need a little bit though… fuck… that was the first time I had sex with a dog in about 50 years."

 

"Certainly looked like it. You looked like you had a lot of fun. So did River. I've never heard her howl like that before. I'd certainly say she's satisfied." Salome said, chuckling as she looked at River getting up to walk over to her water bowl, legs shaking heavily and cum dripping from her onto the floor.

 

[][][][][]

 

“What next?” Salome asked, and Pythor smirked at Raven, who caught his eyes and gulped.

 

“Hey, Raven?” He asked, and the hippogriff tilted his head. “You've done a lot for me, and I could feel your cock poking me while I was pleasuring Sally. I've grown to enjoy your company and your help, so would you be opposed to me thanking you~?”

 

Raven smiled and shook his head, shifting so that he was sitting back against the couch, his long, thick black cock sticking into the air. He watched as Pythor slithered over, and flicked his tongue out against his balls. He shuddered as he fondled and licked them, and curled his tongue around his shaft trailing up to the tip.

 

Pythor swirled around his tip, and lapped up his salty pre. He smirked up at raven, and opened his mouth to take him inside. He pushed all the way to the back of his mouth, tensed up, and pushed even further. A high-pitched squack filled the room, and he could only imagine the looks on Raven's face and Salome's as his throat bulged out with the girth of Raven's cock.

 

He swallowed Raven past the flared tip, the barbed and smooth shaft all the way to his rounded base, and began bobbing his head and neck back and forth, sighing as he covered the entire organ in his saliva. The beast crooned and rested a hand on Pythor's head, caressing his chin and guiding him further on his cock.

 

Pythor smirked and held his metal hand to the base of his cock, just behind his ballsack, and with a practiced series of snaps and “knuckle cracks”, set his hand to vibrate. The effect was immediate, and Pythor felt Raven's hooves kick out on either side of his body.

 

Raven screeched as he felt Pythor sucking him harder and faster, all the while massaging his balls, cock, and even tailhole with his vibrating appendage. He was panting wildly, now thrusting up into Pythor's throat as his cock throbbed and his base swelled. He grabbed Pythor's head with both sets of talons, squacking and screeching as he forced Pythor to take every centimeter.

 

Before Pythor could realize it, Raven pushed the thick bulb at the base past Pythor's teeth, and it swelled up. He tried to pull himself off, but it was too late, and with an ear-piercing cry, Raven's balls throbbed and he began cumming into Pythor's throat.

 

Pythor instantly readied himself, and began swallowing quickly and with purpose, each pulse of cum visibly moving through his throat as the hippogriff's muscles moved it forwards.

 

Despite being stuck now, Pythor settled down and turned off the vibration, now resting his hands against Raven's hair and feathers as he took quick breaths through his nose between pulses of cum.

 

For the next half hour, he swallowed every drop until he felt safe enough to pull his head back, coughing slightly and sighing. Raven looked down at him with wide eyes, and grabbed his chalkboard, hastily scribbling on it.

 

“Are you okay?! I'm so sorry!”

 

“I'm fine, Raven. Fuck, wasn't expecting to get stuck though, but… damn. That was kind of fun!” He said, and leapt atop the hippogriff's body, hugging him and nuzzling his beak. “Thanks for letting me do that.”

 

Raven cooed and nuzzled him back, holding his head gently and licking at his mouth. Pythor returned the kiss and slipped off.

 

“Fuck, that was so hot. I didn't know you could do that.” Salome said as she fingered herself next to Raven.

 

“Well, I'm probably the only serpentine who can given my long neck. Fuck, you tasted so good Raven. Can't wait to do that again.” He said, and Raven kissed him again.

 

“Think you can let me ride you?” Salome asked.

 

He nodded, but held up his claws to give him some time.

 

“Got it. Pythor, while I'm getting ready in the bathroom, could you please put some more logs in the wood stove and blow out the candles? I don't want my house burning down.”

 

"Of course. See you soon, love." Pythor agreed, heart fluttering as he relished in that word.

 

He placed a fresh bundle of wood into the wood stove and hurried around the room, blowing out any candles they had lit and then rushing to the bathroom to take care of his teeth.

 

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As soon as he and Salome were done, he slithered into the bedroom, where she sat on the bed, without any clothes on. Pythor froze in the doorway as he took in her entire body, from her breasts, to her smooth stomach, and down to her shapely thighs.

 

It was enough to make Pythor's two hemipenes emerge from his slit again, and she smiled as she got up and slowly walked over to him. "Mmm… looks like someone sure is happy to see me."

 

"How can I not be? You're just so beautiful." He said, and took a hand to the back of her head and kissed her, briefly flicking his tongue at her lips. “I can't wait to see you take Raven's cock into you.”

 

“Well, wait no longer, cause here he comes.” She giggled, and pointed behind him.

 

He turned around and slithered aside, and Raven nodded at him. The hippogriff sat on the bed and flopped onto his back, making the bed lurch with his weight. He shuffled and shifted until he lied on one side, and Salome climbed overtop of him.

 

Pythor crouched down at the foot of the bed, and recorded Raven holding his cock steady as it prodded at her folds. With a wet squelch, he slipped into her pussy, and sighed as he placed his talons around her waist.

 

She slid deeper and deeper onto him, pushing past the barbs and the medial ring that made her shudder, stopping just above his knot. His cock gently twitched and pulsed outside her, and Pythor noticed that his balls were still large and plump, ready to deposit their virile load in her womb.

 

Salome lifted her hips up, and pushed back down with a soft noise. He loved how she moaned as the hippogriff's huge cock spread her wide, and Raven evidently loved it too, given how his eyes shined as he eyed the penetration.

 

Raven tightened his grip on her hips, and gently thrust up into her, making the bed creak as he did. His cock twitched with each movement, and there was such a beautiful noise each time his medial ring slipped in and out of her.

 

Salome made sure she was putting in her fair share of the work, pushing against Raven's chest and onto his cock faster. Pre from Raven was squirting everywhere, and more than once Pythor had to quickly wipe it off the camera lens, he was not going to sacrifice this close-up shot.

 

He could see the veins on his thick hybrid cock throbbing, the twitches that Salome's pussy made as his thrusts got more and more vigorous, each rocking the bed and making it bounce slightly. Thank goodness it had been built to support Raven's weight.

 

Salome grabbed Raven's feathers in her hands, grunting as she visibly clenched up around him, and trickles of clear juices slid out from the gap between their bodies. With the extra lubrication, Raven started jackhammering into her, holding a claw to her back and another on her butt, his crotch began audibly slapping against her skin.

 

Pythor had his jaw hanging open as he watched the hippogriff slam all of his half-meter long cock into her repeatedly, the knot at the base of his cock getting bigger on each thrust.

 

Huffs and croons left his beak as he stroked her soft skin, but those noises soon turned to grunts as he began trying to force his knot into her body. For a moment, Pythor thought he had gotten too big, it was practically the size of a softball now.

 

“Do it! Shove it in me!” Salome half-yelled, and lifted up, dropping herself down, right as he thrusted up.

 

POP!

 

Raven let out a strangled shriek as his talons dug into her skin, scratching her, but he still held her close as he began spewing a deluge of cum inside her. Pythor watched, drooling as he watched Raven's balls throb and clench up with each rope he fired in her.

 

Salome groaned and squirmed as his cum began bloating her, and Pythor craned his head to the side slightly to watch as each pulse made her belly expand slightly. She reached down to feel it as it became slightly rounded, and smiled at him and Raven as she got comfortable.

 

For forty minutes, Pythor sat at the foot of the bed, watching as Raven's balls and cock occasionally twitched. When those forty minutes had passed, she shakily pushed herself off, the knot popping out of her and letting over a liter of cum pour onto Raven's hair and soak the bedsheets.

 

Pythor turned off the camera and immediately began licking Raven's cock and her slit, drawing deep moans from the both of them. He pulled back and licked his mouth.

 

“Mmmm, how was that for you two?” He asked, and smirked when Raven could only shakily give a thumbs-up, not even being able to lift his head, while Salome smiled at his response.

 

“I love taking his knot in me. He always spews so much and it gives me a nice warm feeling. It's a really great stress-reliever for him too.” She said. "How bout you get in bed, and then I can take you for a ride too?" She asked, and he grinned.

 

"Mmm… I don't know about that ." He chuckled, and before she could react, he darted between her legs and around her body, hoisting both of them up and onto the bed where he leaned over her. "You see, I'm not the kind of guy who likes to lie back and let someone else take him for a ride. I prefer being in the driver's seat."

 

"Hey! Warn me before you do that!" She half-yelled, half-laughed, her voice leaving her in a rush as Pythor leaned down and licked her neck, trailing his tongue up to flick at her ear. "And where's the fun in that? Don't you love the spontaneity of it all? The feeling of cool scales rubbing against your skin?"

 

Pythor smirked more when he sensed her shiver at his words, and positioned his face in front of hers. "Tell me you want this, and I'll blow your mind. If not, I'll stop, and we can go right to sleep. What will it be?" 

 

Salome huffed, her voice almost a whisper. "Fuck me."

 

Pythor decided to play with her a little and loosened his coils. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear that. You said you wanted to stop?"

 

She blushed more, and spoke louder. "I said 'fuck me'!"

 

He pulled back, his face in mock-surprise. "Oh, you said you wanted me to continue. My mistake~" He tightened his coils back up and shifted so that his shafts were lined up with her holes. With a slight movement, he pushed inside of her, a sigh leaving his mouth as he entered her body.

 

Salome tensed up and grabbed Pythor's chest tighter as he pressed into her slit and ass. Pythor looked up as he felt this, expecting to see her face scrunched up in discomfort, but instead saw her eyes half-lidded and a sloppy smile on her face. This was likely her first time having both of her holes filled at once.

 

"Holy shit… you feel so warm and tight, Sally. Mmmm… fuck you feel good." He hissed as he closed his eyes he held her tight, feeling her tunnels flexing and twitching around his lengths. "Are you ready?"

 

"Fuck yeah, take me." She said, and held his back as she felt him pull back.

 

"With pleasure." And with that, he thrust inside of her, both of them gasping again as he filled her up.

 

Pythor held her tight too as he repeated his thrusts, as if he was afraid he might lose her, and ran his hands across her smooth back. He never thought he would get to experience intimacy like this again, especially with a human.

 

Salome held him the same way, although he suspected that was because he was thrusting into her with that much force. Her moans filled his ears, and he felt a warmth in his chest at being able to make her feel this way. He wanted to give her more, and so he thrust into her faster.

 

"Oh… oh my… don't… don't stop love." She gasped as he cupped her cheeks in his hands, holding more tightly to his back as she tried to buck against him, not being able to much thanks to his coils.

 

"Wasn't planning on it." He chuckled, loosening the coils around her hips so she could grind against him more easily. She took full advantage of this, and pressed his shafts deeper into her, making him groan from the muscles twitching along his own lightly throbbing shaft.

 

He could feel a pressure building up in his body, and tightened his hold on her as he bucked into her with more force. He panted as the scales all over his body tingled with bliss, and he pressed his face to her neck. He opened his eyes slightly, and grinned when he got a dastardly idea.

 

Salome gasped as Pythor brushed his fangs against her neck and nibbled on her skin. She started digging her nails into his scales, much like how he was to her skin, with the exception that she wasn't leaving red marks in him. She got tighter and tighter against him the harder he thrust into her, her moans becoming louder until she finally broke.

 

Pythor felt her both of her holes clamp down on his cocks, and a flood of her juices coated the one buried deep in her pussy, even squirting out against his scales. He grunted as he pushed through the final few thrusts until his slit was pressed firmly to her body, and groaned loudly as he came inside her.

 

Both of them shuddered against each other, her body milking him for all of his seed, of which he still had plenty to give her. He kept himself hilted in her, not wanting this moment to end as his scales were held tight to her skin.

 

He was grateful she was wearing an IUD, because he definitely doubted he could have pulled out in time.

 

“That felt… really, really great, Pyth." She said, and rubbed her hand along his neck, smiling at the shivering reaction she got from him, and felt his shafts twitch inside her. "You really love this spot, huh?"

 

"Y-yeah… it's… a bit of a sensitive spot for me." He said, a goofy smile on his face as he did.

 

"I'll have to remember that."

 

"Unless you want me to fuck you wild right then and there, I wouldn't do it too much." He said, leaning down to flick his tongue at her ear. "Although, I can turn invisible~"

 

"Mmm… I might take you up on that." She said, and trailed her thumb along his neck more, sighing as he bucked inside her again.

 

"Salome?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Thanks for convincing me to stay. You probably saved my life."

 

"Well, you saved mine, so, it's only fair."

 

“You saved my life too, Raven, thank you.”

 

Raven started to coo, but was cut up by a growl and a sharp bark as River jumped into the bed. She flopped down next to them, making Pythor grunt as she practically fell on him. He reached over to gently rub her head and neck, and smiled as she looked over her shoulder at him.

 

"Thanks to you as well, River." Pythor chuckled and rubbed her belly, then turned his bead and smiled as he looked into Sally's deep, green eyes. "To think I have such beautiful eyes to wake up to tomorrow."

 

"Same here. You have such a beautiful body and face, Pyth. And an even greater heart inside you. I love you so much."

 

He felt his heart swell as he smiled more at her, and pressed his mouth to hers, keeping her in a simple, yet powerful kiss as his body started to sink into the mattress. Pythor magically pulled the blankets higher over them with a flick of the wrist, and snuggled up tighter to her.

 

He reluctantly pulled out of the kiss and nestled his head next to hers. "Goodnight, sweetie."

 

"Goodnight, Pyth."

 

Raven gently extended his black, feathered wing over them, shielding them from the cold of the roaring blizzard outside, and rested his head against the pillows. He held up his talons and made a heart with them, making Pythor's flutter at his friends.

 

“You three are so wonderful.”

Chapter 15: Breakdown

Summary:

After a night of passion with Salome and her wolfdog, Pythor is blindsided when police show up at her house and arrest him for staying out past curfew. Facing even greater restrictions in his personal and working life now, Pythor struggles to bear the weight of his past sins, and soon finds it is too much to carry.

TW: This chapter contains attempted suicide.

Edited 7/31/25 to add Raven to the beginning and elsewhere in the chapter.

[April 3rd, 2016 - 8:15 am]

Pythor's eyes fluttered open at the sunlight shining in through the window and stretched as he let out a huge yawn. Raven's wing was still stretched out over them, and Pythor's movements caused him and Salome to stir.

"Mmmm… good morning honey~" He heard Salome say, and smiled when he looked down to see her green eyes shining up at him,

"Good morning to you too, sweetie." He said and leaned down to gently kiss her on the lips, and reached up to do the same for Raven, who crooned at him. "You know, I could get used to this view in the morning."

"Well, maybe we can get permission for you to live here if you want."

"I'd love that. Maybe I can serve the rest of my probation here."

Salome smiled and put a hand on her belly. "Fuck, I sure am hungry. You really gave me a lot of attention last night."

"I sure enjoyed it." He said as he reached over and gave her her glasses. "Hey, I had an idea. We both need to get clean, why don't I get the tub filled with water, and I can warm it with my magic or elemental powers?"

"Don't you need to go back to your house so you can tell your probation officer what happened?"

"I texted them last night when I went to the bathroom. Besides, I doubt the roads have been plowed yet, and I'm not going to just cum and go."

She snickered at that and sat up. "Yeah, that's true. Well, go on ahead and get a shower then. You can do it first. One of us will have to go outside though and attach the generator to the pump. It will probably be freezing though.”

“Ah, I can handle the cold. I doubt I’ll be out there long enough to get frostbite or hypothermia. Be right back.” He said and got up, stretching before putting on yesterday's clothes and heading outside.

It took a little while to find the wellhead and the pump, which were buried under the snow. Once he had, he quickly filled up the generator with diesel, plugged it into the outside outlet, and started the pump.

He went back inside and made sure she was okay with getting a shower last. Once he was, he warmed the water, put on some music, and lowered himself in, sighing as the warmth permeated his scales.

"This is so beautiful." He said, resting a hand on his elbow as he looked out the bathroom window, gazing at the fresh snowfall.

At least 1.5 meters of snow had fallen outside, covering everything in a white, sparkling blanket. Birds flipped around outside, scampering along the snow and leaving tracks and chirping as they searched for seeds, several crowding around the bird feeder outside. Over by the pine trees, a fox creeped along the snow, tilting its head before jumping up and diving into the snow headfirst, coming out with a mouse in its teeth.

"Yeah, I could get used to this." He said, and grabbed a washcloth as he remembered that he was supposed to be getting clean.

Pythor slithered out of the bathtub and dried himself off, making sure that he looked sparkly in the mirror before heading back outside to fill up buckets for Salome. Once she was in the bathtub, he went into the kitchen and plugged in an electric skillet to a power bank, resuming his music as he prepared the ingredients for breakfast.

River came trotting into the room as Pythor started pouring the flour and rubbed herself against him. Pythor smiled and rubbed her head as she looked up at him, and sniffed deeply at his crotch before turning around and lifting her tail.

"Hey, I'm still tired from last night. I can't go again. If I had some vitali-tea I could, but I wasn’t planning on this." He said as he got out the pancake mix. As soon as he did though, he noticed she started skipping and dancing around. “So now instead of wanting to be bred, you’re wanting to be fed, eh?”

“Where’s Raven?” Salome asked as she came out of the hallway.

“He's out hunting. Also feeding your pegasus.”

"Say about yesterday, are all serpentine affected that much by animals in heat?" Salome asked as she took a seat at the table.

"Uhhh… kind of. How much depends on the individual. Horses affect us a lot more than dogs do though. Seriously, I've seen serpentine who have been riding in a carriage behind a mare in heat fucking them as soon as they get back to their farms."

"I'm surprised that it's allowed."

"Well, as long as you aren’t tying the animal down, sedating it, or using magic or hypnosis to coerce them, why wouldn’t it be? It’s like you said, if a horse or dog do not want you to get intimate with them, they will kick or bite you if you keep it up." He said and started mixing the batter. "We serpentine are very in tune with nature and animals, and see them as companions. Surprisingly, it wasn't uncommon for horses and dogs to seek out pleasure any way they could get it. If a mare wanted you to pleasure it, it would pin you to a wall until you gave her what she wanted."

"I guess that’s fair. I know all about that. Horses are really smart and can be sassy and stubborn when they want to. So, you would just do this in public?"

"Sometimes, yeah. There were harsh fines levied against you if you involved children in it though, plus you'd face imprisonment. The same goes for if you forced yourself on an animal, such as muzzling a dog, drugging an animal, or worst of all, using magic or hypnotism to control their minds and do it."

"Holy shit."

"Yeah. Most cases of Serpentine-animal relations were natural; that is, they developed organically. Serpentine were very casual about this, it was a way to increase bonds between riders, as well as between them and their horses or dogs. A mare for example would really bond with you if you helped provide her relief during a bad heat, even though she wouldn't carry a foal from you; unless you used magic."

"How casual was it exactly?"

He snorted. "Casual enough that it was very common for a soldier returning from a mission to drop his pants to his thighs in the stables and fuck a mare until he came in her slit, and no one else would bat an eye. Oftentimes it would even be right there in the middle of the camp too."

"That sounds really free and relaxing to be honest."

"Yeah, it is. We aren't ashamed of our bodies or of withholding love for each other. That's why you can sometimes see a hypnobrai riding a cheetah's cock at a bus stop, or a fox knotting a woman on a train. That's also why we often don't wear clothes if the weather permits, unless we want to, or a job such as construction, healthcare, or food handling requires it.”

“Huh, so that's why I see so many serpentine and anthro animals like that.”

“Yeah, you know, I remember seeing my dad really getting into it with a mare by the name of Rash. She was actually given the rank of Staff Sergeant in the army. Smartest horse you'd ever meet. She was also very popular among the soldiers, getting them to eat her out, making them cum in her mouth, fist her. I even remember seeing her on her back getting spitroasted. That's what got me interested in them."

"Sounds like your dad broke the law." She said with a grin.

"Hey, what they don't know won't get someone discharged and imprisoned. But he didn't know I was watching them, or that I fucked her myself. But, allowing serpentine to see stuff like that and having honest, open conversations with youth about sex and nudity, especially the risks, really satisfies their curiosity. Plus it prevents a lot of underage pregnancies. Not always, but they understand that it's a life changing moment, even if they abort the fetus.”

“I never had that with my parents, they always made me dress up and hide my skin. Plus they monitored my internet.”

“Well, that was wrong of them.” Pythor said, frowning. “I'm not saying children should just have free rein on porn or sex, because they could meet a lot of fucked up people or get taken, but children are curious, and they should be allowed to explore, ask questions, or browse with the proper guidance. Not made to feel ashamed or like they're wrong for wanting to know why ‘milk is dripping from mommy’.”

“Sounds like you've thought a lot about this.”

“Yeah, it's something that gets brought up frequently in debates between humans and non-humans. But, enough of cultural lessons. Time to eat!”

He soon finished making breakfast for both of them, and even made a pancake for River. He sat down at the table with her, and set River’s pancake on a plate on the floor.

"If you don't mind me asking, what was your first animal?" She asked as they started eating.

"A horse named Pebble. I was basically 16, cleaning her even though that was a job for the servants, and I caught her scent as I was washing around her butt. I just got so enamored with the shape of her rump and that slit between those muscled cheeks, and before I knew it, I had my snout buried inside her. Next thing I knew, she was shaking and huffing as my snout was covered in her fluids."

"Oh cool. Mine was a wolf."

Pythor nearly choked on his food and almost spat it out. "Are you serious? An honest-to-god gray wolf?"

"Yeah. I was solo camping in the Nikko national park about seven years ago between summer classes, and was eating some food when a group of five wolves came into my campsite. I was a little scared, especially since they seemed a little aggressive, but I had recently played with myself, and they seemed interested in me, as evidenced by one of them sniffing at me.”

“I pushed myself away, kicked off my boots, and took off all my clothes. I got on my knees and felt him licking me, then he mounted me and thrusted until he tied with me. Fuck… it must have been about 30-35 minutes before he was able to pull away. Same with a second one."

"After that, they apparently trusted me around them somewhat, and I sucked one off, and I still remember his whines of pleasure. Here's the best part," She said with a grin. "I was actually able to get one to lay on its back and let me ride it, and knot me that way. We ended up falling asleep together, and they were still there in the morning."

"Damn. That was really nice. Wish I could have seen it."

"I do have it on video. River here is actually related to one of their pups. I can show it to you sometime if you’d like."

"Fuck yeah, I'm down."

"You are such a pervert." She chuckled. "So, how'd you sleep last night, love?"

"I slept like a little hatchling. You?"

"Same. You and Raven here really got me tired with how hard you fucked me." She said, winking at the hippogriff who rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, I'm surprised how long we slept, but I don't feel tired at all." He said and glanced out the window. "When I was soaking in the tub, it was so pretty looking outside with all the snow out there. I saw quite a few birds outside and a fox catching a mouse."

"Lucky… I didn’t see a fox out there. But yeah, I love it when everything is covered in a fresh blanket of snow. It makes the world feel so completely different and magical."

"Mmmm… Pythor, I am not exaggerating when I say these are the best pancakes I have ever had. You really know how to cook."

Pythor smiled and looked down at the table. "Thanks, really. Cooking is one of my favorite pastimes. I love helping people take care of themselves. Oh, I know it's not exactly related, but… I want to say that I really love the drawings you make. They just get even more beautiful the more I look at them. I still find myself admiring the one you sent me as a gift."

"Thank you, Pythor, that praise really means a lot to me. As for that gift, I'd really love to take you there sometime. Maybe when I can ride again, we can go on a ride and have a picnic where I drew that."

"I'd love that." Pythor said as he looked up, and smiled more at the beautiful woman sitting across from him. He could just imagine living with her for the rest of his days. His heart skipped a beat though when he realized that it was actually the other way around. With his longevity, he'd outlive her by hundreds of years. How could he savor the time with her when time without her couldn't even compare?

"Is something wrong?"

He shook his head to snap himself out of his thoughts.

"Just… thinking about what I'll say to my probation officer." He said, not mentioning that he actually left a message while she was in the bath.

"I'm sure you'll be able to explain it. You're smart like that."

She was just too kind. How could he deserve her? Pythor finished his meal up shortly afterwards, and Salome helped him gather up his things. He surprised her as he was heading to the door by wrapping her up in a hug, pressing his face to her neck. "I love you, Salome."

"I love you too, Pythor." She said, and returned the hug, giving him a quick kiss on the nose. "If you're worried about the roads, why don't you take Raven or Mist, and you can come get your car later once the roads get plowed? They know the way back."

"Thanks, I'll let you know when I get ho-” He said and looked out the window. “Oh no…”

Three police cars were driving down the road at the end of the ranch, so fast that one of them spun and got a back tire stuck in a ditch. The other two turned onto the driveway and made a beeline for the house.

“Pythor?” Salome asked, pressing a hand to his shoulder.

“They're here for me.” He said. “Stay inside. And whatever you do, do not let River outside. They'll kill her.”

“Pythor wait!” She pleaded, and even River whined, putting a paw on his waist. He sighed and quickly hugged both of then, and hurried outside, making a show for the police by leaning against the doorframe and crossing his arms.

“Howdy officers! Fail your winter driving certification?” He asked, smirking when they scowled at his question. “I see you got my message.”

“Shut your mouth snake and get on the ground. Now!” One officer yelled, and didn't even give him a chance to move before they shoved him, making him slip on some ice and hit his chin on a bench.

There was a snarl, and Pythor looked up through the pain to see River jumping on the window, the glass cracking sharply at her attack. An officer drew their gun, but Salome threw River away from the glass.

Pythor sighed as he was hoisted up and shoved down the steps, slipping a second time. He was roughly moved forwards and crammed into the back of a police car like old clothes and taken away.

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[April 5th, 2016 - 11:00 am]

Pythor bolted out of the car and immediately slipped on the wet driveway, hitting his chin on the pavement. His family called for him to slow down, to wait and not hurt himself, but he couldn't wait. He had to know that their tight faces on the way back from the hearing wasn't about his children.

He threw open the door to the house so hard it busted the door stopper and darted upstairs to Terra's room. As soon as he got there though, his heart stopped. Sitting on the bed was Terra, and she was cradling two hatchlings in her arms. Both of their eyes were open.

She looked up at him and sighed. “Pythor, sweetie… I'm sorry. I… I couldn't do anything to stop it. It happened yesterday morning.”

“I… I missed it. I missed our children hatching. I… I can't… bel…” He stammered, as if he didn't hear her at all. His gaze turned to the floor, and he weakly punched the doorframe as sobs began to fill the room.

The bed could be heard shifting as she got to her feet. “Pythor… it's okay. They only opened their eyes a few hours ago. They haven't seen Wisp yet. Come on, sit with me.”

“It does-doesn't matter… I-I wanted t-to be here when the eggs cracked.” He sobbed even as she moved him to the bed. “If… if I had just left Sally's house when I could have…”

“Hey, listen to me.” She gently turned his head towards her. “Newt told me why you couldn't come back, and I talked with Sally. It would have been too dangerous to drive back, and with how strong the winds were, flying probably was dangerous too. Both of them agreed that it was more important you stay alive so that you could see your children.”

He turned his head away from her gaze and down to his children. One looked a lot like how he used to, with purple and black scales, while the other was predominantly brown with some black scales.

They looked up at him, their eyes wide at the strange creature looking down at them through tear-stained eyes. Terra gently placed them in his arms, and he held them close as he wept even more.

His heart was a maelstrom. Joy at holding his own children in his arms again after so long, grief at missing their hatching, love for his children, and fear at what Ninjago could do to them.

“I'm just saying,” Valory said from downstairs. “I have a lot of work to do for my R&D job, and I don't need your brother trying to pull me away from my measurements.”

He looked up at Terra, and Wisp who had just came into the room.

“You know he has problems socializing and reading emotions. You telling him he may have to find somewhere else to stay only made things worse!”

“Newt, you're being too soft with him. I-” Valory started, before stopping as Wisp shut the door.

“You don't need to hear that.”

“It's not like it isn't true.” He sighed.

“Regardless, saying it when she knows how long you were held out and what happened is just completely insensitive on her part.” He said and sat down with them on the bed. “I'm sorry you had this happen to you. I'm glad you weren't held out any longer.”

“Oh yeah, just had my curfew cut by an hour, got slapped with a $300 fine, and a very firm warning that if I missed curfew again I go straight back to cell one in Kryptarium.”

“Seriously? You made it clear that it wasn't safe for you to come back! You even called them and sent an email before your curfew was up!”

“I know!” Pythor snapped, making the children flinch and whimper. Immediately his heart lurched and he gasped. “Oh no, I'm sorry sweeties. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.”

“Are we okay though? This won't affect our kids, will it?” Terra asked, looking at him with wide eyes.

“I don't know. Not directly at least. It might affect my ability to celebrate milestones like their hatchday, but I don't think they can go after you directly.”

“We'll figure it out.” Wisp said. “Did you have any idea what you wanted to name your kids? Terra and I named these two Maud and Plaz.”

“I don't know… I can't think of any right now. I can't even remember what… w-what I… I'm still… I wanted to see them hatch… I…” As he continued to stammer and cry anew, he caught them looking at each other, their faces tight with anxiety.

This was supposed to be a day of joy and love, and it was supposed to be yesterday at that. He was making this about him instead of their children.

“Hey, it's okay. We have time. We don't have to name them right now. It can wait until you're ready.” Terra said.

If I ever will be… “Yeah, maybe I'll think of some in the next few days. We can still be a family.”

Even though Ninjago will do everything to prevent it.

“Just take your time. You want some breakfast? Or brunch?”

“I did get out late, huh?” He weakly chuckled. “Sure… I guess.”

“Okay, I'll make you some oatmeal, eggs, and some other stuff. I'll bring it up here when it's done.”

Wisp set his kids down and left the room. Pythor looked down at them and the other hatchlings. He held them all in his arms. He had his children and those of his partners in his arms. He should be happy. So why wasn't he?

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[April 15th - 6:15 pm]

Pythor pulled out his phone and checked the time, then groaned as he looked at the door. "Come on, Sally, where are you?"

"She still hasn't shown up?" Canicula asked as she came over and sat down across from him.

"No." He said as he put his phone down again and ran his fingers along the table. "She's not answering her phones either. I'm going straight to voicemail on her cell phone and her landline keeps ringing."

"She might not be able to answer right now. Hopefully she's alright. I know how much she means to you."

"I don't know… again, her landline's ringing so she can't be at home, otherwise she would have picked up by now. I really wanted to talk with her about some things."

"Well, I'm here, and there's a lull in visitors right now, so I got time. You know I'm always willing to listen."

He paused and put his head in one of his hands as he picked at his food. "Did Newt tell you that Valory is getting upset at me? And even talked about me while I was dealing with missing the hatching of my eggs?"

"Yes, he did."

"I just wanted to spend more time with her. I feel like even after spending so much time living at her house that I don't know her that well.”

"I understand. It must be awkward living in the same house. Er… same property but not being close. But, you need to understand that pushing her into something she isn't comfortable doing is only going to make her want time to herself, which will only leave you wanting more.”

"I know that. I just wanted her to know that I was there for her."

"I'm sure she did, but it helps to have time to yourself and room to think on things. Someone doesn't always need to be talking to feel comfortable around someone.

Pythor stayed silent and picked at his food as he thought. Did he really not give Val time to herself? He thought he did. Sure, he would say hi to her often and ask her how she was doing, but was even that too much?

His mind flashed back to Wisp, and how he sheltered him from the thunderstorm, holding him close with a leg and using his wing as a blanket. Wisp listened to his worries and told him that it was okay to cry, and he was actually starting to believe that.

He wished he was here with him.

"Well, I have to get back to work, it's starting to get busy."

Pythor sighed and pushed the plate away. "It's alright, I was thinking of heading home anyways."

"I'll take care of your bill, little bro."

"Cani, no. I'll-"

She put her hand on his and looked him in the eyes. "Pythor, you're going through a lot right now. Please, let me handle this for you."

"Fine." He sighed and gathered his things. Arguing with her would only draw attention from the other patrons. "I'll see you later."

Pythor left the building and went back to his car to drive home in silence. He kept himself in the treehouse for the rest of the night, not even being able to muster the will to paint or practice on his guitar.

After a night of fitful sleep, Pythor rushed through breakfast and stormed out of the house.

"Screw it. I'm getting some answers."

A pink glow covered Pythor's whole body as he transformed into a dragon again, rainbow sparks covering his arm as it grew into a large metal leg. Pythor looked at it, noting that it was superficially identical to his other organic legs, only made of metal, circuitry, and silicone.

He flapped his wings a few times and stretched them, feeling them move completely in unison. Deciding that the winds were good enough, Pythor vaulted himself forwards and took off, flying straight for Salome's house.

He landed with a thud, and transformed back into a serpentine before knocking on the door. He didn't know if he intended to knock as hard as he did, but it got Salome to the door quickly.

"Pythor? What the hell are you doing here? It's not even eight in the morning." She asked as she rubbed her eyes.

"I'm here to get some answers about where you were last night."

Raven's talons clacked against the wood floor as he came around the doorframe, putting a wing between Pythor and Salome.

"What? I have to tell you where I am at every single goddamn moment? Is that why I had to charge my dead phone and turn it on to find twelve missed calls and fifteen texts asking me where I was?"

His mouth turned downwards and he crossed his arms. "We were supposed to go out for dinner last night. We agreed to, remember?"

"We went out for dinner two weeks ago. How often are you going to want to do that?"

"If you didn't want to go, why did you agree to?"

She groaned and drug her hand down her face before she looked up. "Mainly because I knew that if I said no, you'd keep bugging me until I said yes. You're starting to call me every day. How many times do I have to tell you that I'm busy with work?"

"It feels like you're always busy with work!"

"I'm an equine and mythological veterinarian! We aren't exactly common! My hours are like that. Yeah, I network with my friends so that we have 'shifts' of sorts and I work at a clinic, but sometimes I still get called in for urgent matters!" She threw her arms up.

"So is that where you were last night? Giving a checkup and leaving me alone? I wanted to talk with you about things."

She stepped back and crossed her arms. "I really don't understand you, Pythor. I thought I did. I can't believe that the man who saved my life and told me to stick with my career is now telling me to scrap it because he can't stand missing one dinner. I thought you were happy for me."

His mouth opened slightly as her words struck him. He remembered how devastated she was that she couldn't work because of her injuries, and how he wiped her tears away.

"I am. But-"

"But what? What else do you have to say? Why do you need to add anything else onto that?"

"What was the emergency? Just what?"

"I had to euthanize a horse, you clingy asshole! I had to put a horse that I've known for over 12 years to sleep. Do you have any idea how hard it is to kill an animal you love and grew up with?!"

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"How could you? My phone was dead! And even if I did it wouldn't have changed a thing! You're so damn clingy that you can't handle being by yourself for a damn day! You always need to be around someone!"

She leaned against one of the support posts for the porch and pressed her watery eyes to an arm.

"I think we need to stop seeing each other."

His heart stopped as he looked at her, his face falling.

"You-You're breaking up with me?"

"I-I don't know. I think we need to take a break from each other. I can't be around you like this, not if this is how you're going to be. I hope you aren't like this with Terra."

She didn't want to be around him anymore… She thought he was too clingy, just like Valory, Newt, and even Fangdam and Erik. All he wanted to do was make her happy, to show her that he loved her, and she thought he was doing too much?!

"No, no. If you want to be left alone, fine. I'll give you all the time you could possibly want! We're done."

"Pythor-" She said and turned to face him, but he held a hand up.

"No, I mean it. I can listen. I know what you're saying. If this is what you want, then who am I to complain?” He scoffed, even as River and Raven growled at him. “Goodbye everyone. Sayonara."

Pythor slithered off the porch and transformed back into a dragon and flew off, battering the front of her house with the downdraft of air.

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[April 18th, 2016 - 7:00 am]

Pythor landed in a park across from the coffee shop and changed into a serpentine, and conjured his clothes before putting them on. As he slithered across the street, he noticed Alexsis sitting out front and watching him.

"Hey, Alexsis, what's up?"

"Salome told me you broke up with her. Is that true?"

Pythor cringed and rubbed his head. "Ummm… yeah."

"Why? She really loved you."

"Well, she didn't seem too happy around me lately."

"That's because you were calling her every day, or at least way too often." She said. "She just wanted some space. She hasn’t stopped talking about you."

"Do… Do we have to talk about this right now?" He asked and looked around to see if anyone else was listening.

“I guess we don’t. I just wanted to let you know that she wanted to be with you.” Alexis said and got up to head inside.

Pythor stayed outside for a moment as the rain fell on his scales, leaving him chilled. Salome still missed him? During the past few days, he woke up feeling excited to talk with her over the phone or by text, or to go over to her house and watch another movie, but then he remembered what he said to her. Every day, he felt an ache in his heart when he remembered that they weren’t a couple anymore, and wished that he hadn’t broken up with her.

If he could change anything, he would give her the space she wanted. Why? Why couldn't he have stopped his mouth from yammering? As soon as he let those harsh words slip, he immediately felt them sting his own heart, and could only imagine how she felt.

He sighed and slithered inside. It didn’t matter anymore, what's done is done.

As soon as he got to work though… “Where’s the foam? I asked for a galao, not straight espresso.”

“I’m sorry sir, I misheard you. I’ll fix that right up for you.” He said and took back the drink and immediately started making a new one.

That was the second drink he’d messed up that morning, and Alexsis was taking the brunt of it. He must have apologized to her several times by this point, they were completely out of sync. He knew it was said that you shouldn’t date coworkers, apparently the same was the case for their family members.

A couple hours later… shit hit the fan.

"Hey, sir, sir."

Pythor looked up from washing some of the mugs to see a white woman looking right at him and holding a mug.

"Ummm, yes? Can I help you?"

"Yes, you need to take this shitty excuse for a Mocha and pour it down the drain."

"Do you not like it?"

"Oh no, I'm just giving it back out of the goodness of my heart. I totally love the taste of expired milk, and I want to share it."

"The milk isn't expired ma'am. We checked our ingredients first thing this morning."

"Oh, then clearly you can't read, because this Mocha tastes shit, and I know my coffee. I don't know why I expected a snake to be able to read though."

He sighed and noticed a venomari also looked up at the slur.

"You don't need to call me a snake, ma'am, I can make you another mocha or something else if you prefer."

"I'll call you whatever I please, thank you, because you can't make a simple coffee.” She said, snapping her fingers. “I don't want another mocha, because you'll just fuck that up too."

"So what? You want a refund?"

"Sir, you need to watch your attitude, because I can shut this whole place down. I have over 1,100 followers on Chirp. I want my money back, and a muffin."

"You didn't order a muffin. I can't give you one for free."

"Uh, yes you will. I think I deserve one after all the hardship I've been given here."

"Ma'am, please, you're disturbing the other patrons. I've offered to give you an alternative beverage and your money back, and-"

"Oh, I'm 'disturbing the other patrons'? Well, too bad for them. I want my money back, I want my food, and if you don't give it to me, I will give this place the worst review it has ever seen, and no one will want to come here."

"Alright, listen, Karen-"

"Oh, so now you're about objectifying women, mister? You need to-"

"Alright, what is the problem out here?" Alexsis asked as she came out from the back

Pythor and the woman both started talking again, and Alexis stopped them. "One at a time. You first miss."

"This snake here called me a Karen because he made shitty coffee and I want my money back."

"Alright, Pythor, why don't you head into the back? I'll take care of this."

Pythor sighed and slithered back into the office and pulled out his phone until Alexis came back with a frown on her face.

"Did you really call her a bitch, Pythor?"

"No! I don't know what she told you after I left, but I tried to be patient with her, and I only called her Karen right before you came out."

"Well, you're not supposed to do that."

"She was the one causing problems!"

"I know she was, she gave me her own kind of attitude and I had to kick her out, but you still can't go around calling customers insults."

"Even if they're calling us slurs?"

"Pythor, listen to me." She sighed as she put a hand on her face. "I've dealt with plenty of customers like that before, but we have a moral duty to treat all customers equally. They mean what they say about leaving reviews, and small businesses like these need good ones. If new people see bad reviews, they'll think what's in them happens all the time."

"So, what, we're supposed to just bow down and give unruly customers what they want?"

"No, we-" She said and crossed her arms as she looked down. "Pythor, I think you should go home."

"What? Why?"

"You're off your game today." She said as she looked up at him. "We're bumping into each other, you're messing up orders, and you're getting upset at customers. I think you should go home for the day and cool off."

"Alexis, I can still work. You need all the help you can get here, and I need the money. Maybe I need a break, but I don't need to go home over it."

"Pythor, please do this. We'll be fine. The mornings are the busiest, and things usually cool down before lunch. It won't be that bad."

He groaned and hung his head. "Fine, I'll go home if that's what you want."

"Don't be like that, it's only for today."

"Yeah, sure." Pythor said and got up to slither outside. He took off his work clothes and looked back at the coffee shop as he threw them in a trash can. "I know what it is."

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[1:00 pm]

"Thank you for the flowers, miss." Pythor said and handed a fangpyre some money.

"Happy to help." She said, and smiled when Pythor left some cash in her tip container. "Oh, thank you so much."

He nodded and smelled the flowers before heading down the sidewalk and crossed the street to head into a cemetery. He went up to a gravestone and laid the flowers on it.

"Hey, Yukene, it's me. I… I know it's been a while since we saw each other, but I just wanted to come here and say that I was sorry." He looked away and rubbed his shoulder. "I wish I was there for you. I wish I had come back so that I could have kept you safe and watched out for you, just like you always did for me."

He chuckled and looked back at her gravestone. "You must be pretty disappointed in me for the things I did before you died… and after." He leaned down and put his left hand on her headstone as tears ran down his scales. "I'm really sorry for leaving. I hope you can forgive me, big sis."

Pythor wiped the tears away and slithered deeper into the cemetery. He slithered up to a statue and held flowers close to his chest.

"He-Hello, Dr. Julien."

He paused as he looked down at the base of the statue, trying to find the right words to say.

"I… I learned that you died while I was in prison… of heartbreak. It was on Zane's birthday. I want you to know that I truly regret hurting you and him, even though you and I have never met."

He wiped his eyes again and laid down the flowers at the base of the statue.

"You were a very smart and compassionate man, and one that I honestly respected and looked up to. I've learned so much from your work. You did so much to help the serpentine, while I turned away from the kind I always promised to look out for.”

“I was angry, hurt that the serpentine would associate with the same humans who oppressed us. I thought if they were standing with the humans, then they were standing against us. I truly, truly am sorry for everything I did to hurt you. I hope you can forgive me."

"Oh that is just rich."

Pythor's eyes widened and he turned around only to come face to face with the titanium ninja himself, and Fangtom was right next to him.

"Oh… hello, Zane… Fangtom."

"What are you doing here, Pythor?" Zane asked.

"I'm… paying my respects to Dr. Julien."

Fangtom snorted with both of his heads. "Yeah right, like you're the kind of person who would respect the dead. Sure you're not here to vandalize it?"

Pythor hissed and clenched his fists. "You… have no fucking idea what you're talking about. I'm not the kind of person to desecrate graves. I have family here that I lost, loved ones who were taken from me!"

"So do I." Zane said, and Pythor cringed as he backed away. "Dr. Julien died because of you."

"I-I know. I'm deeply sorry."

"I doubt that. You were more than happy to help the overlord trap our minds on the internet and kill us."

"I honestly don't know what's got Jay and Skalidor or their families thinking you're some patron saint of virtue now. I've seen what you've done, and I know you for the murderer you are." Fangtom said.

Pythor looked at the scar on Fangtom's arm and chest, too deep for any number of shedding cycles to remove it.

"You tried to kill me Pythor, do you have any idea how terrified Rose or Thorn were when they saw me in the hospital? How scared they were of you?" He asked as Zane went over to the statue to lay his own flowers at it. "I thought Ed was going to lose his leg from your attack. At least you know what it's like to suffer that kind of hurt now."

Pythor looked at his prosthetic arm and clenched his fist as he looked at the fangpyre, but gasped when he saw Zane pick up his flowers and freeze them solid.

"I don't care what you've lost, or what you've sacrificed, because it will never compare to what others have lost because of you. I know what you are, Pythor. You're a monster." Zane said as he turned Pythor's flowers into icy mist and watched it fade away.

Pythor looked down as he started crying, tears falling to the ground as he looked at his hands.

"I'M TRYING TO CHANGE! I have been for the past seven months! Why is that so hard for you to accept? Have I stolen from anyone? Have I killed someone else?" Pythor asked as they started to move away from him. "I lost my arm saving Lloyd's life, I fucking DIED! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"So you're looking for gratitude? Praise? Is that it?" Zane spat as he looked back at him. "You expect to be rewarded?"

"That's not what I-"

"Save it, Pythor. No one cares."

Zane walked on ahead, while Fangtom lagged behind. Pythor clenched his eyes shut as he wept.

"My life is falling apart. My family is driving themselves into bankruptcy to pay for my release. I almost died in prison, and I am so scared of going back there. Skales is harassing my dad, and the probation department from Ninjago is cutting my time short. I don't know what to do…"

"You want my advice? Go kill yourself." Fangtom hissed. "All you do is hurt people and ruin their lives. Why don't you just spare them any further grief by killing yourself and getting it over with? Oh, and do try to stay dead this time."

Pythor watched as they left and fell to the ground, sobbing as Fangtom's words echoed in his mind.

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[6:30 pm]

Pythor slithered up to Newt's house, arms hanging limply at his side as his head hung low as well. He waited at the door for a minute and was about to knock, but pulled his hand back and slithered around to the treehouse.

He stopped when he heard talking and saw a blue dragon sitting in the backyard with Arcturus, Maera, and Newt.

"Wisp?"

The blue dragon perked his head up and smiled at Pythor, his yellow eyes lighting up at the sight of him. "Hello, Pythor."

"Wh-what are you doing here? You left for the monastery yesterday with Terra.”

“I could sense you weren't feeling good, that something was really bothering you, and I felt like I needed to come back. Jay and Lloyd came with me too.”

Great… just fucking great.

Pythor raised a brow and looked at Arcturus and Maera. "I didn't expect to see you two here either, what's the occasion?"

"Newt was interested in having a cookout with us, and asked if we could come." Arcturus answered.

Pythor looked down at the ground and sighed under his breath. He was really hoping he could just spend the rest of the day in the treehouse by himself.

"Are you feeling alright, Pythor? We know how close you are with Wisp." Maera asked as she looked over at him.

"Yes, mum, I'm alright, I just had a rough day at work, but it's fine."

"Okay, well, why don't we head inside for now?" He frowned at how long her pause was before she answered, but he sighed and shook his head as he did. He immediately laid down on a couch and turned on the tv.

"Hey, bro." Newt said from in the kitchen as he grilled hamburgers on an electric grill.

"...hey."

"So… how was work today?"

"I'm not really in the mood to talk about it." He said.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

Arcturus and Maera sat down on another couch next to him, and he sighed, knowing that they could only want to talk to him.

"Hey, Pythor? Can we talk?" Arcturus asked.

"Can I say no to that?"

Arcturus looked down at the floor, and Pythor felt his heart sink as he noticed this.

"It's something that I was really wanting to discuss with you."

"Alright, what is it?"

"You… you remember that fight we had on New Year's Eve?"

"The one that ended with me throwing you into Valory's bookshelf and breaking it?"

"Yeah, that one."

"What about it?"

"I wanted to tell you that I was sorry for how I treated you. You were right, I was being overprotective." Pythor looked over at him and sat up as he kept talking. "I've whipped myself for years for letting my brother cast you out, for not doing more to protect you or fight for you. Not just that, but be a proper father for you as well, unlike him."

"I promised myself, that if I ever came across you again, I wouldn't make the same mistake twice. I'd protect you and keep you safe. That's why I was so clingy towards you. I… I was afraid that you would be taken from me again, and I wanted to have the life we never got to before."

Arcturus stared to cry, and he wiped his eyes, but it didn't stop the flow of tears.

"I remember seeing you lying there on the deck of the Destiny's Bounty, with your arm missing and bleeding out, and I was so terrified I'd never get that chance. And to learn that the government was trying everything they could to send you back to prison where you'd likely die… I couldn't let that happen."

"So… that's why you always got angry at me for staying out late or fighting back."

Arcturus nodded. "Maera and I had a fight on New Year's Eve after you got back. I wanted to believe that we could go back to the life we had before, when we would go on camping trips to our cabin, play games with each other, and be a family. Maera told me though that we had changed too much, and that I was hurting you by trying to recreate the past."

He scooted closer and held his hands as he looked into Pythor's eyes. "Son, I am deeply sorry for not giving you the space and time alone you needed. And I am especially sorry for using your family against you. I hope you can forgive me."

Pythor's heart ached as he looked up at his uncle's bright eyes, and wished that his held the same light behind them.

"I do, dad. I'm sorry for attacking you too."

Arcturus hugged him, and Pythor returned it as best he could.

"If… if it's alright, could I please eat my dinner outside? I want to see Wisp."

Arcturus nodded, and Pythor thanked him and Maera as he went outside to lay down against Wisp. He sighed as he leaned back against the dragon's scales, loving the feel of them against his own.

"So, you really came all this way just to see me? Even though we saw each other yesterday morning?" Pythor asked as he took a bite out of his hamburger.

"Yeah, I felt like something was wrong, and I'm feeling like it was a mistake to leave so soon."

Pythor frowned and looked down at his food. "I don't deserve your kindness."

"What makes you think that?"

"I just don't."

"I worry about you, you know?"

"Tsk, why? Don't waste your time. I don't want to be coddled." He snapped, and looked over to see the dragon's eyes wide open. He could see in them that his words struck Wisp hard, but he wouldn't let himself be swayed.

He couldn't.

"Everyone thinks things can be fixed so easily for me, as if hugs and kind words will be enough to undo centuries of trauma. It won't. That shit won't stop a discriminatory government from driving my family into bankruptcy. It won't stop people from saying shit to me in the street. Don't waste your time."

Pythor threw his food on the ground and stormed away from Wisp, feeling the dragon's hurt echoing in his heart. He wouldn't turn around and face him though, he couldn't bear to face anyone.

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[2:45 am]

Pythor sighed as he laid under the bedsheets and stared at the wall. He had laid down about 5 hours ago, but the desire to sleep was nonexistent. His mind kept running over all the horrible things that he had done in his life.

He stood by and watched as his parents ruled over the lower serpentine classes like they were nothing, hundreds from other tribes starving and dying in the streets, anacondrai elites taking any females they wanted for their own sexual pleasure.

Then, when he tried to break free from their control and have his own family and overthrow them instead of marrying the woman they wanted him to… his wife and children paid the price, and he was powerless to stop it.

He curled up as his thoughts kept sinking and sinking into deeper and darker places. Every time he tried to do something right for people, others were hurt because of it. Myonlac, the great devourer, Sköll, so many people have died because of him. Thousands.

All you do is hurt people.

Canicula was wrong. It wouldn’t matter how many good things he did or people he helped, they would still hate him anyways. Hardly anyone wanted to give him a chance. Aside from a very small number, people still gave him hateful looks in the street, still called him every possible slur they could think of.

Nothing would change. Absolutely nothing.

Pythor pulled himself out from under the bedsheets and looked at the cuts on the bottom of his tail.

Maybe… maybe Fangtom and Skales were right. If he wasn't around anymore, then no one would have to fear him. Plus, Arcturus and Maera wouldn't have to be scrambling for money to pay for his GPS monitor, and they could finally start using it for their own expenses.

But what about my kids?

The thought made him pause and shudder. He grabbed the blankets as tears formed in his eyes. He was a new father after decades of living without his children. The last thing he wanted was to leave them!

But… there wasn't any way he could stay. Ninjago's and Quetzalcoatl's treatment of him would only get worse. Plus, Terra and Wisp couldn't stay at Valory's house forever. They had a place at the monastery, where Pythor would never be able to visit…

That's not even considering the amount of money he was already spending on this stupid GPS monitor, money that he would rather have spent on raising his and Wisp's children.

He silently groaned. It felt so selfish thinking about leaving them and their parents, but… he was really doing this for them, so that they could live a better life. He had to take care of a few things first.

Pythor grabbed his phone and opened up his texts.

"Salome, I am so sorry for how I treated you last Friday. You really were the best thing to ever happen to me. I was wrong to treat you the way I did. I hope you'll be able to forgive me."

He sent the text and then went to his email.

"Eratos, I want to start this message by saying how grateful I am to you for taking so much time out of your days to design and make this prosthetic arm for me. It has really helped me out. I'm so sorry for wasting this gift you have given me. I really, really am. I'll have it be sent back so you can recycle any parts you can get from it. Thank you for your help.

Sincerely, Pythor.”

Pythor slithered out of bed and went down to the main floor, finding a piece of paper and writing on it.

"To my family.

I love you so much. I can't express how much you all mean to me in mere words. I am truly sorry that you have had to find me like this, but I can't live like this anymore. You all have been hurt so much because of me. From having to pay for my probation, to having Skales threaten to send Arcturus to prison should I commit a crime, to the grief you get from others in public just for being near me.

I can't bear to see you all suffer just because of the things I have done, the things I have tried and failed to make amends for. I know I have been given a second chance at life, but I had no idea how hard things would be when I made the decision to come back.

No one wants to give me the benefit of the doubt, a chance to prove to them that I am no longer the same serpentine that I was four years ago. I have tried to do good in the world, to perform kind acts instead of thinking that words alone will be enough, but it just isn't.

I have realized that other people may be right, that maybe things really will be better for everyone else if I am just gone. This way, you won't have to worry about figuring out how to pay for my monitoring, and you'll be free from having to take care of me.

Again, I love you all so much, and I wish you didn't have to see me like this.

Love, Pythor.

P.S. Dad, everything you said to me tonight really meant the world to me. I am so happy that we were able to reconnect like we did. Please, don't feel bad about this. This wasn't your fault.

P.P.S. Please send my arm back to Eratos. I'll write down how you can.

Pythor put the pencil down and grabbed his keys. He looked at them for several seconds, contemplating what he was about to do, and turned invisible. He carefully opened up the door and slithered outside, shutting it as slowly as he could.

He craned his head over the railing on the deck and saw Wisp sleeping on the ground. He frowned and hoped he would have left after the tongue-lashing Pythor gave him. At least he was asleep.

Pythor slithered down the ramp to the treehouse, making sure that Wisp stayed asleep as he did. Pythor unlocked the garage door and shut it behind him, then unlocked his car and hopped inside it.

Tears streamed down his face as he pushed the button to start his car. A few minutes later, he put a hand to his head as the room felt like it was starting to spin. He winced as his head started to pound and sloop as it got harder and harder to hold it up.

He started taking in shorter breaths, each one becoming more raspy than the last. A sharp pain started blossoming in his chest, but he couldn't focus on it. He couldn't focus on anything as his vision multiplied, spreading further and further out as it grew fuzzier, until it faded to darkness completely.

He felt like he was drifting up and side to side, spinning around and around in a circle, and smiled. There was a crunching noise, he was being bumped around. What was happening?

"Pythor… Pythor! Please… don't go…"

What?

The fog was clearing some. The world looked like a pastel with afterimages. The garage door ripped off, the top of a car peeled open, a blue blur standing overhead. The blurs became bigger and bigger, the darkness coming once more to take him.

Chapter 16: Be Careful What You Wish For

Summary:

After his attempt at taking his own life, Pythor wakes up in the hospital with his friends and family, and begins a recovery plan to help him through these times. In spite of this however, no one could have planned for the arrival of a certain wish granting djinn...

Comments are deeply appreciated. I use them to try and figure out what is working in my stories and what isn't, as well as gauging interest in the story as a whole.

[April 19th, 8:00 am]

 

Pythor groaned as he woke up and winced at the bright lights coming in from the window as his head pounded. He tried to rub his eyes, but found that his arms were cuffed to the bed. He felt a particular one on his left wrist, and furrowed his eyes as he looked at it.

 

"Vengestone? What?"

 

He looked out the window on the door, and saw a fangpyre talking to his family before heading towards the room and coming in.

 

"Hello sir, how are you feeling?"

 

He paused and looked down the length of the bed. "Ummm… a little dizzy… I guess?"

 

"Do you know what your name is?"

 

"Yes, it's Pythor."

 

"Do you know what day it is and where you are?"

 

"No, and yes. I'm at the hospital."

 

"It is April 19th. Let's check your physical symptoms. Are you feeling short of breath?"

 

"No."

 

"How about chest pain or headaches."

 

"My head is pounding, about a 7. Can the curtains be shut?"

 

"Of course." He said and went over to close them. "Do you feel drowsy, or are you experiencing any nausea?"

 

"A little nauseous." He said and looked down at his cuffs. "Why are these on me? Is this the police again?"

 

"No, and we're sorry, but the restraints are in place to protect you. We understand that you attempted to take your life last night, and would like to try and give you the best care we can."

 

He scoffed. "Good luck."

 

"Have you experienced any seizures recently?"

 

"How recent?"

 

"Within the last two weeks."

 

"Yes, one."

 

"And you are taking medication for it, correct?"

 

"Yes, Coxpri."

 

"Okay, thank you. A doctor will be in to see you shortly and be able to answer your questions more thoroughly."

 

The nurse left soon after, and a venomari came in to take a seat on a chair near him. "Hello, Pythor. I am Dr. Wenola. How can I help you today?"

 

"Didn't the nurse tell you what I said? You can't…"

 

"Why is that?"

 

"Because there's nothing you can do…" He sighed and looked away. "So don't bother wasting your time."

 

"Well, why now? Why decide to do this?"

 

"So my family would be spared any pain. Along with everyone else."

 

"What kind of pain?"

 

"The kind they feel when scrambling to find money to pay for this fucking monitor. The price was raised and they've had to pay out over $2,200 for my continued monitoring. They've been hurting."

 

"And you wanted to keep them from having to pay out more money, is that it?"

 

"They don't deserve to have to pay so much for me, they've already had to pay out hundreds of thousands for houses and putting my siblings through college."

 

"I see, and you mentioned 'everyone else'. Could you please elaborate more so that I can understand better?"

 

"What is there to say? Other people are right. All I've done is hurt people in my life. I'm sure you know the things I've done, so I don't need to explain them. They're probably right, I'd be better off gone."

 

"Are there any particular cases of this? Has anyone told you that you should die?"

 

Pythor looked away and sighed. "I don't want to cause any trouble."

 

"You won't be causing any trouble. If someone told you that you should take your own life, then that is very serious."

 

"Don't you get it? That's exactly what you're asking me to do! You're asking me to get someone else in trouble for something I did to them and their families." He sighed deeper and closed his eyes as he clenched his fists. Why was he saying all this? Why was he even wasting his time here?

 

He couldn't hurt anyone else. His family was probably out there waiting for answers, and he couldn't imagine the pain they felt when they saw him in his car, the air saturated with carbon monoxide. What was he going to do? If he told them the truth, what would that mean for Rose? How could he face Jesshema again?

 

"Dammit… I can't do this beating around the bush anymore." He groaned. "Fangtom hates me because I shot him with arrows and broke his boss's leg when I was helping the overlord take over Ninjago. He told me that I should kill myself."

 

There. He did it. He just destroyed another family. Now-

 

"I have a question." The doctor said, and Pythor looked up. "Do you think that what he said was right, or the right thing to do?"

 

"Of course not, but… fuck… I hurt so many people by doing what I did."

 

"It seems like hurting others is a big concern for you, and that no matter what you do, others won't be happy with you."

 

"Yeah, I just wish I could do more, do better."

 

"You want to help people, to do good things for them right?"

 

"Yeah, but Ninjago won't let me do it. Instead, they saddled me with this bullshit monitor and shortened my curfew when I was stuck at my girlfri- ex-girlfriend's house because of a blizzard. Thanks to them I can hardly do anything."

 

"But you can do things, correct?"

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"You've been under probation for four months now, correct?"

 

"Yes. For assault and evading arrest."

 

"I spoke with your family earlier to gather some background information, and I found out that they appealed your prior convictions. Have you considered appealing these?"

 

Pythor blinked. "Yes, but nothing has come of it. They're stonewalling us.”

 

"I see. Have you followed up with King Skales to make sure that sharing custody over you is actually true?"

 

"No… we've never been able to. Is… is that actually true? Is this whole thing just a sham?"

 

"It might be, it might not be. But I think you should evaluate things and do some investigating as soon as you can."

 

"When can I see my family?"

 

"Soon. We would like to perform another examination of you to make sure that you are in good health. It shouldn't take very long."

 

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"So, Fangtom and Skales really said that, huh?" Maera asked as she and Arcturus sat next to Pythor's bed, while Jay sat behind them. On the other side sat Lloyd, who made sure to hold Pythor's hand after he asked him to.

 

He was a good man.

 

"Yeah…" He said, and looked at Arcturus, who had kept his eyes on the floor, very intently focusing on a line between two panels. "Dad…?"

 

"Those bastards almost took my son from me… this is the third time I thought I lost you. They're not getting away with this."

 

"But their wives and kids though…"

 

"Pythor, they-"

 

"Actually, Mr. Asclepia sir, can I take this one?" Jay asked. Arcturus sighed and scooted back as the fangpyre hopped off the windowsill as he came over to the bed.

 

"Pythor, I know that you're worried about what will happen to their family if you go through with this, and I think that's a good thing. It means you care about the well-being of others. But do you think Jesshema and their children would approve of Fangtom saying what he did? Same with Queen Selma and Prince Tranz?"

 

"No…"

 

"Fangtom and Skales made a choice to be negligent and indifferent about your life, and that was wrong to do. I think they need to learn that."

 

"Isn't Fangtom your friend?"

 

"Yes, but you are too, and friends don't let friends tell others to take their own life."

 

Pythor smiled slightly and pulled Jay into a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around him. He sighed when he felt Jay wrap his arms around him as well, and held it for about a minute until he let him go.

 

"Sorry, I… I needed that."

 

"No, it's okay." Jay said, and Pythor smiled more.

 

“He's right. What Skales and Fangtom did was wrong, and they should be held accountable.”

 

“But… Skales is the king here. What are we going to do? Have him arrested?”

 

“I don't know, we'll figure it out. Maybe you could file a lawsuit?”

 

"Maybe. So, what now?" Pythor asked. "I don't know how I feel about sitting in here all day."

 

"Well, I can tell the doctor that we can take you home. Still going to have to make an appointment with Jesshema though. She said she had something to tell you. You too, hon." Maera said.

 

"Really? Me? Well, alright, go ahead." Arcturus agreed, and sat down as she left.

 

"I don't know if I should be in here for this, so I'm going to head outside and see how Wisp is doing." Jay said as he got up, Lloyd agreeing that he should leave too.

 

"Wisp is outside?" Pythor asked.

 

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah, he's sitting outside in the hall. He's been here all night."

 

Pythor looked out the window as Jay and Lloyd left. Wisp had been waiting for him all night? He remembered something black and blue standing over him last night. Had Wisp saved him?

 

There was a knock at the door, and Dr. Wenola came back in with Maera. "Your mother has said that you are wondering when you can return home. Are you feeling like you can?"

 

"I… guess? What do you mean?"

 

"Are you still experiencing feelings of hopelessness or depression? Or are you having any suicidal thoughts?"

 

"I am still depressed, but… I want to follow up on what you said and investigate this probation some, maybe even appeal it, especially since we still have time."

 

"Well, I have an idea on something we can try. How would you feel about signing a no-suicide contract?"

 

"A what?"

 

"It's a written agreement to contact your primary care provider, a therapist, or a person on the suicide hotline if you feel suicidal or despondent. It gives you a plan to follow should you feel that way."

 

"First time I heard of that, but sure." He agreed.

 

"Alright, I'll go print one out and be right back." He said, and left.

 

"Maybe with this, Newt and Valory won't have to lock anything up that I could kill myself with." Pythor said, and watched as Arcturus and Maera cringed. "Hey, I'm trying to help them out. I don't want to cause any more hardship for anyone."

 

Dr. Wenola came back in with the contract, and it had everything on it that Pythor would expect something like it to. Name and contact number for a therapist, primary care provider, had the national suicide hotline on it, as well as an agreement to remove things like guns and knives from the immediate premises.

 

"Well, Newt and Valory like to cook, so I can't just have them unlock something to get a paring knife out, but I'll still sign this." Pythor said, and wrote out his signature on it.

 

"Alright, now that we have this taken care of, we'll get you discharged. Remember to follow up and schedule an appointment with your therapist, alright?"

 

Pythor nodded and was soon slithering out to the lobby with his family, Jay, and Lloyd. He looked around the room and saw Wisp sitting by a fountain.

 

Wisp looked up and gasped, jumping to his feet and running over, almost knocking Pythor over a chair. As soon as Pythor opened his mouth, Wisp locked him in a hug and kissed him on the mouth. Pythor froze for a moment and melted into the kiss, his heart also melting in love and regret.

 

"Don't you EVER scare me like that again!" He growled just before pulling him into another kiss.

 

"I'm so sorry, Wisp. I'm so sorry. I was so selfish. I was wrong. I'm…" He said as he started crying into his scales. He could feel the dragon's breathing shaking, and held him even tighter. His eyes were so watery, and the fear in them just made his heart break.

 

"I was so worried for you, I was so, so worried. I thought you were gone. At least, everything's okay now."

 

“No, it's not okay. I just realized how much of a colossal idiot I've probably been. This probation is probably bullshit, and I've allowed it to go on for this long."

 

"You're not an idiot. I know you're smart. You've just had a lot going on, you've been kept busy so you haven't had time to think about stuff.”

 

"That was you who pulled me out, wasn't it? Is Terra here?”

 

"Yes. I'm sorry about your car. And no, Terra couldn't make it. She wanted to, but it would have been too much for the kids to bring them here or leave them with how young they are.”

 

"I understand. How did you know, though? You were sleeping."

 

"I felt like something was wrong. Very, very wrong. I found your scent leading to that building and saw you there. You didn't answer me… I could feel you fading. I had to do something."

 

"You felt me fading? How?" Pythor asked as he pulled back. Wisp just smiled.

 

“We have a bond, Pythor. That's why we work so well together.”

 

"Jay and Lloyd told me you've been here all night. Is that really true?"

 

"I couldn't leave you. I told them that I wouldn't leave until I saw you again, no matter how long it took.”

 

Pythor looked into Wisp's bright yellow eyes, and felt something solid in his heart. He leaned forwards and gave Wisp a quick peck on his mouth.

 

He smiled and looked back at his family. "I really want to go home now. I'd like to fly back with you Wisp. Is that alright?”

 

“Of course it is. We'll see you all back at Valory's place.” He chuckled and led Pythor outside as the anacondrai gave a wave.

 

"Hey Wisp? Thank you for staying with me."

 

"Anytime, Frosty."

 

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[4/21/16 - 8:00 am]

 

Pythor sat down on the couch in the treehouse and sighed as he looked at the window. “It sure is raining a lot.”

 

“Well, it is spring.” Newt said as he cooked eggs on the stovetop and flipped a waffle maker. “Is the rain bothering you?”

 

“I don't know. It sounds nice and relaxing, but with how heavy it is, it reminds me of that day Nadakhan attacked me.”

 

“Hmmm, maybe you could try closing your eyes, and instead of imagining it raining in an ocean or a lake, think of it being in a lush rainforest?”

 

“I guess that sounds nice. I can try that later. For now, I just want to get to replying to the messages that people have sent me. I just have to figure out what to say.”

 

On the screen of his laptop, several emails from Eratos could be seen.

 

4/19/16 - 7:30 am. “Huh? What do you mean you wasted it? Did it get damaged? If it did, it's no problem for me. I can fix it there, here if you want to ship it, or I can send instructions for it to be repaired at a mechanic.”

 

3:00 pm. “I'm not upset if it got damaged. I know you wouldn't do anything on purpose. Just let me know if it's hurting you, and I can come out there.”

 

4/20/16 - 11:00 am. “Is everything okay, Pythor?”

 

8:00 pm. - “Pythor, are you hurt? I'm starting to get worried since you're not answering any of my emails or phone messages. I hope you're safe.”

 

4/21/16 - 7:30 am. “Please answer me, Pythor the tone of your message is really scaring me. I'm going to talk to the king so I can come out there. I need to know you're not… that you're okay.”

 

“What should I say to Eratos?”

 

“I don't know. I wouldn't tell him that you tried to take your own life though, he may be worried, but it's not really any of his business. It's up to you.”

 

Pythor pulled up his contact information and called him.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hey, Eratos. It's me.”

 

“Oh thank Sharri! I was getting so worried that something had happened to you! Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened to your arm?”

 

“I'm… I'm alright now. I'm not hurt, and the arm is okay. Something did happen, but I think I'm better now.”

 

“Huh? I don't understand. I was just getting ready to ask King Trimaar if I could go over there to check up on you since you weren't responding to any of my messages.”

 

“I saw that in your last email. You were going to travel all the way across the continent?”

 

“Of course. You're my friend. What happened?”

 

“I… don't know if I can say. It's something private and personal. I saw in my email though that you sent me a ‘thinking of you’ card. It looks really nice, and I appreciate the thought.”

 

“You're welcome. I drew it myself. Is everything okay with your arm? You said you were sorry for wasting it.”

 

“Yeah, the arm is just fine. It's still working great. I just… I wasn't in a good place, but I'm doing better now.”

 

“Alright, well, I'm glad to hear that you're doing okay now. Is there anything you need from me?”

 

“Not really. I would like to hang out with you in-person, but that's more of a ‘want’. Besides, I'm sure you're really busy as the chief scientist and engineer.”

 

“Well, I am busy a lot, but I suppose I can make time to come out there for a visit sometime soon. I like seeing you too, and my sister wants to meet you.”

 

“Thanks, Eratos. It means a lot to me that you care so much. See you two later then.”

 

“You too.”

 

Pythor hung up and went over to the counter to eat breakfast, and as soon as he was finished, he pulled out his phone again and called Salome.

 

Like Eratos, she had expressed feelings of confusion and concern over his odd message at an unnatural time, and then his silence. He wondered what he was going to say to her, and still hadn't come up with a good plan by the time she repeated his name.

 

Fuck, he hadn’t noticed her pick up. Time to ad-lib.

 

"Ummm… hey.”

 

“... hi?” She asked.

 

“I… guess I worried you.” He chuckled.

 

“Well, yeah. That text raised quite a few red flags. Are you okay?”

 

“Not really. I just… I just wanted to call you because I felt like I owed you an explanation. I'm not doing good right now mentally, but I think you knew that already based on how much of a jerk I was.”

 

“Yeah, you did hurt me.”

 

Pythor snorted at that. “Thanks for not beating around the bush and being like ‘no, no, it wasn’t your fault’. I haven't been able to stop thinking about the words I said to you.”

 

“I think it can be said that the blame rests between both of us.”

 

He sighed and smiled. “Maybe. Look, I messed up, and I want to make things right with you, but I'm not ready for us to get back together. If you'd have me, that is. I'm attending mental health counseling, and I want to figure out why I acted the way I did, and what I can do to fix it.”

 

“I see. Well, it's nice to know you're okay at least. I don't know how to handle this either, to be honest. It still feels so soon with all that happened between us.”

 

“I know. I feel it too. Hopefully I can figure this out.”

 

“I think you will. I gotta go now though, I'm actually en route to a call I have with a sick horse. It probably has colic, so it's an emergency.”

 

“Good luck, Sally. Bye.” He said, and she bid farewell too, and they hung up. “That wasn't so bad.”

 

“I think you handled that really well.” Newt said, coming over to sit down next to him. “If you need any help, Val and I are here to help every tail of the way.”

 

“I appreciate it. Thanks for helping me out with Val. I… really was rough on her.”

 

“Stress affects us all. The most important thing we can do is recognize when it is affecting us and allow ourselves to move back and take a deep breath.”

 

“You're going to be a great doctor, you know that?”

 

“Thanks, and this soon-to-be-doctor is prescribing you a relaxing gaming session with him in the basement.”

 

“Well, better go pick it up.” Pythor chuckled, getting up and moving with renewed energy.

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[May 9th, 2016 - 10:00 am]

 

"Are you sure she won't be upset? I mean, this is different, right? Fangtom was sentenced to prison. She won't be able to see him anymore."

 

"Yes, Pythor, I'm sure." Arcturus agreed and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "It's not like he's crammed in a concrete cell. He has a computer, a tv, he can go outside to a park and to work. Plus, she'll still be able to see him. He has visitation times every week.”

 

"Still…"

 

"Don't worry, it will be alright."

 

"Alright, let's head in to see her." Pythor said, and slithered inside with Arcturus. After sitting for a little bit, they were called in to meet her. "Hey…"

 

"Hello, Pythor, Mr. Asclepia, how are you feeling today?"

 

"Well, so far today has been nice. We had a good breakfast this morning that I made for us." Arcturus started.

 

"I'm doing okay I guess. Just… trying to get through life." Pythor said, shifting in his seat a lot.

 

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

 

"No, I don't know. Lately I've felt twitchy and anxious, like I don't know what I'm going to do next. It's kind of annoying. I feel scared, but I don't know of what."

 

"Well, I believe I've reached a diagnosis as to the feelings and behaviors of yours that we have been discussing over the past two months."

 

"Really?" He asked as he sat up straight.

 

"Yes. Given the time period, we can likely rule out postpartum depression, at least for the time being. It is my professional opinion that you meet the criteria for borderline personality disorder."

 

"Borderline personality disorder? What's that?"

 

"It's a mental health disorder that affects how you think and feel about yourself in relation to others. It's characterized by difficulty in regulating emotions and as the individual having an intense fear of abandonment and neglect."

 

"Those are two criteria for it. The rest are: patterns of unstable relationships with family, friends, or loved ones, adoring them one moment and then wanting nothing to do with them; rapid changes in self-identity that include shifting goals and values, periods of stress-related paranoia and loss of contact with reality for minutes to hours, impulsive and risky behavior, including: gambling, unsafe sex, substance abuse, binge eating or shopping, or sabotaging happy relationships or jobs; suicidal threats or self-harm, ongoing feelings of emptiness, and inappropriate or intense anger and bouts of sarcasm."

 

"You meet eight of those."

 

"Holy shit… how… how did I get it?"

 

"It's difficult to say. However, it is believed that environmental factors, such as a history of child abuse and neglect play a role, as do genetics. Personality disorders are strongly associated with close family members."

 

"Well, I guess that makes sense. My mother and father weren't often happy with me or my life choices."

 

"Are you saying that Pythor may have inherited this?" Arcturus asked.

 

"It is possible, yes. Were you close with your brother or parents?"

 

Arcturus scoffed and crossed his arms. "Not in the slightest. He was always the favorite given that he was the firstborn. He'd always pick on me, and he was so impulsive, then would blame me for things. Given the criteria you mentioned, I think he would qualify for a few of those as well."

 

"Well, a lot of the symptoms for mood and personality disorders can overlap, so I can't say for sure."

 

"Damn… I think I grew up in the same conditions Pythor did. Maybe that's why I've acted the way I have."

 

"So, what does this mean for me? I've torn up so many things in my life because of my impulsiveness." Pythor asked.

 

"Well, now that we know what you meet the criteria for, we can begin making a treatment plan for you. I'm recommending a mix of Dialectual behavioral therapy and mentalization based therapy."

 

"What will they do?"

 

"DBT helps you learn how to regulate emotions, stay in the present moment, deal with crises, and be effective in your relationships. MBT on the other hand helps you understand your emotions better and those of others, and how they influence your mental state, since you may not understand the intent behind their words. These types of treatments can be very effective in treating people with BPD."

 

"I see. So, when can we start?"

 

"I was thinking that we could start at our next session. I didn't know if you would be comfortable being given a diagnosis and then immediately beginning treatment without a period to adjust."

 

"Yeah, that sounds good. I can tell my mum about this and try to explain it to her. I should really explain this to Salome, though. I didn't leave things on a good note with her."

 

"I can print out some material for you that should help you out."

 

"Alright, thanks."

 

"How are other things going for you?"

 

"I guess they're going fine. Amber came back to me, and I have a good friend in Wisp. I… just can't stop thinking about Fangtom."

 

"What is it that you're thinking about?"

 

"I got him sent to jail."

 

"I don't think you did. Fangtom made his choice to say what he did."

 

"Everyone keeps saying that, but now he's serving time in prison for reckless endangerment in the first degree. I keep thinking about you and your two children. I know I'm not supposed to bring up your personal life, but…"

 

"Hmmm… would you like to know my personal thoughts on the matter?"

 

"Are… aren't you not supposed to?" He asked as he looked up at her with wide eyes.

 

"Normally no, but I can make exceptions if doing so will benefit my clients. Is that something you would like?"

 

"I guess, yes."

 

"I'm not happy with what my husband did, and I think he needed to learn that it was wrong. As for my children, I've explained the situation to them. I didn't mention you specifically in any way, but I told them what he did and why it was wrong, and they understood."

 

"Really?"

 

"Yes." She said, and smiled when Pythor collapsed back into the chair.

 

"I just don't want to hurt anyone."

 

"I know, and you sound like you're doing a great job at not doing so. You still think about your actions before you commit to them, and you consider the feelings of others."

 

"Not all the time, but thanks."

 

"Maybe not, but that is something that we can work on. Speaking of which, would you be averse to meeting with a group for DBT sessions?"

 

"Kind of. I mean, I like the group that I'm meeting with now for substance abuse counseling, and I feel like we bounce off each other well for that. I'd like to continue meeting with you one-on-one if that's okay."

 

"That's perfectly fine. Is there anything else you'd like to discuss?"

 

"Maybe one more thing. I just don't know what to do in my life now. I mean, I like working at the coffee shop, but I feel like I could be doing more."

 

"What is it you'd like to do?"

 

"I don't know. Be involved in first responder or search and rescue stuff, like what Skalidor does. Becoming a schoolteacher is also a career path for me. That… or join the ninja."

 

"You should pursue those interests then. Do what makes you happy." Jesshema said and smiled.

 

"Alright, thanks. I think that will be all for today." Pythor said and got up to shake her hand. "See you in 2-3 weeks?"

 

"Of course. Have a nice day."

 

Pythor nodded and slithered outside towards the bus stop, when suddenly his phone started beeping. He pulled it out and gasped at what he saw.

 

"Warrants issued for the ninja's arrest and the following dragons. All civilians are advised to avoid contact with the listed individuals and to report any sightings to the police."

 

"What the fuck?"

 

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"This is bullshit! Jay would never do this, nor would any of his friends!" Pythor yelled.

 

"I know, Pythor! I know!" Arcturus snapped as Pythor paced back and forth across the yard. "I just don't understand how this happened."

 

"I swear if they hurt Wisp, Terra, or any of the others. Fuck… what have they done to our children?" Pythor hissed.

 

"Whoever did this seems to look exactly like them. Do you think it's an oni or group of them?" Arcturus asked.

 

"I don't know, I could be wrong. I only saw what was on the news. This feels planned though. I think I should go to the library and do some research on this."

 

"Alright, I can take you there. I have some things that I'd like to pick up from there anyways, plus it will be nice to have your company.” Arcturus offered.

 

“Thanks, I appreciate it dad. It will be nice to have you there too. Let's head out.”

 

They got in Arcturus's car and began the trip to Smooth Stone. As they did, they talked about what was happening with the ninja and how little sense it made, as well as how quickly the Ninjagonian government turned against them.

 

While he had heard about the supposed crimes they committed, Pythor thought it was the stuff Intellectual George would put out. Especially with how vocal the ninja were in their support of rights for serpentine, dragons, and various anthros.

 

Pythor found himself enjoying the conversation more than he thought Arcturus was. After Arcturus had opened up about his flaws and insecurities, Pythor had metaphorically whipped himself for not recognizing the signs of someone who had been neglected and abused like he had as a children. Arcturus had just wanted friends and company like he had, and neglecting him just made him want it all the more.

 

What made Pythor happy was giving that kind of attention to another, letting them know that they were wanted. Had he killed himself, he would have forever deprived Arcturus of someone's company, and he wouldn't wish that on anyone.

 

They soon arrived at the library in town, and Pythor went over to the catalog while his dad went to pick up his stuff from the front desk. He had just started searching on the computer when he heard someone talking to him.

 

"Hey, Pythor. How uhhh… how are you doing?" He turned around and saw Acidicus standing there.

 

"Ummm… I'm doing alright."

 

"Oh… good, that's good. I'm glad to hear that." Acidicus said and twiddled his fingers.

 

“Is there a problem over here?” Arcturus asked, having slithered up behind Acidicus, who stiffened at the sound of his voice.

 

“N-N-No sir. No problem at all. Just… trying to help.” He said, quickly turning on his tail.

 

Pythor raised a brow. "Are you okay, Acidicus? We haven't seen each other in a little while, and you weren't this civil last time."

 

"Come on, let's do this away from the computers." Acidicus said, and led him towards a hallway. Once they were, he sighed and put his hands on his waist. "Look man, I messed up. I gave you hell last time and set a bad example for my children. I'm sorry."

 

“I'll say.” Arcturus said, but Pythor held his hand up.

 

"What happened?"

 

"Quite a bit. Caust thought I was being too hard on you when you came here before, Zane told me you were messing around in the graveyard, and then I heard about the trial with Fangtom…"

 

"I wasn't messing around. What? A guy can't pay his respects to his big sister and a scientist without being given hell?"

 

Acidicus looked up and shook his hands. "No, no, I know. Lloyd told me what Fangtom and Zane did, and how you saved his life and… it put some things in perspective for me."

 

"I just want to do some good things in my life now."

 

"I know, and I think you already are. I can tell." He said and looked around. "Hey, my kids are here today, you want to see them?"

 

"Sure." Pythor agreed, and Acidius led him and Arcturus over to the children's section, where a female venomari was playing a game with two children.

 

"Hey Caust."

 

"Oh hello, honey." She said, and waved at Pythor and Arcturus.

 

"Daddy!" The kids cheered and dashed over to wrap their arms around their father. Pythor's heart warmed at the sight, and he came over to sit down at the table.

 

"How are you three doing?" Pythor asked as he looked at them coloring in books.

 

"We're doing good." Caust said as the kids came over and sat back down with their mom. "We decided to come here after a doctor's appointment for Toxx here."

 

"I got out of school early." She cheered.

 

"Lucky…" The other child grumbled and crossed his arms.

 

"Now, Vern, you had an early dismissal too just a couple of weeks ago."

 

"Yeah, but class was boring!" The boy whined, and Pythor chuckled at his antics.

 

"Alright, keep it down you two, we're still in the library." Acidicus said.

 

“They're really sweet, funny too. Reminds me of when my kids were growing up.” Arcturus said, and Acidicus smiled at him.”

 

"Do you two want to play a game with us?" Toxx asked them.

 

"Sorry, but I'm afraid I won't be able to. I need to look up some things here, and it is a very urgent matter." Pythor said.

 

"Awwww…"

 

"It's alright kids, maybe he can do it some other time." Caust said.

 

"Yeah, I will. I promise. You seem really nice, and I think it would be fun to play with you when I'm able." Pythor agreed, making them smile. “Would next Saturday or Sunday work for you?”

 

“Yeah, those days are good for us.”

 

"Sounds like a plan. Come on, I can help you. I need to get back to work anyways." Acidicus said.

 

"You're doing a great job running this library, and raising your children."

 

“Yeah, it looks really nice and relaxing here. There are so many books that look interesting.” Arcturus agreed.

 

"Thanks, but I don't know if I'm going to be doing this much longer."

 

"Huh? Why?"

 

"I know I love books, but I really love history and archaeology. I'm putting in applications for museum curator here."

 

"Hey, that's nice. Well, if you ever need a reference, I'd be happy to give you one."

 

Acidicus smiled and nodded. "I appreciate that. So, what do you need help with?"

 

"Have you heard the news about the ninja?"

 

"Yeah, I have… it's a shame."

 

"Well, I know them, a few pretty well, and I don't believe they did any of it. Same for their dragons. You got any descriptive books on shapeshifters and related magic?"

 

"You really think that's what this is?"

 

"I hope so. Whoever did this was very thorough, and apparently is very skilled in elemental magic."

 

"Alright, I'll show you things that I think will help you."

 

"Thanks." Pythor said, and slithered off with him.

 

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[1 hour later]

 

Pythor sat at the table in the treehouse and flipped through pages of a book and took a sip of water as he focused.

 

"Okay, oni. Counterparts to dragons. Demons possessing the essence of destruction. Nigh-immortal. Don't think it's them, they don't have any elements, and they aren't very magical I don't think."

 

He flipped some more pages.

 

"Ghosts? They can possess others, even dragons, but… no, Wisp was with me when the attacks happened, this couldn't be them."

 

Pythor scratched his head as he looked at elemental powers.

 

"Hmmm… Chamille can't use magic, and I don't know if she can turn into a dragon, plus this was all over the place. Ugh, Ghosts, Oni, and the element of form can't be it." Pythor muttered and then gasped as he flipped back some. "Wait… shapeshifting beings capable of using powerful magic, able to teleport at will…"

 

He looked at the being that was on the page.

 

"A djinn."

 

"My, you certainly are a smart serpentine."

 

Pythor whirled around and saw an orange being floating in front of him and holding a large sword. He hissed and transmuted a blade on the end of his arm, but gasped after looking at the djinn for another moment.

 

"YOU!"

 

The djinn blinked and held his hooked hand to his chest. "Me?"

 

"Nadakhan! You think I'd forget the pirate captain that tried to sink my family's ship two hundred years ago?"

 

"Do I know you?"

 

"My name is Pythor."

 

"Ah, yes. Now I remember, you're that scared little snake who hid in the ship while his family did all the fighting." He chuckled and shook his head. "My, you've certainly grown, and you have a new power as well."

 

"I was practically 8!" Pythor retorted. "You, you're the one behind the ninja being framed. What do you want with them?"

 

"Oh? You actually care about them? That's funny. If I recall correctly, you unleashed a great being on the land several years ago and nearly killed them. You actually succeeded with the metal one, did you not?"

 

"I'm not like that anymore. I'm better now!"

 

"Are you sure about that?" He asked as he crept closer. "I know quite a bit about you, prince of the serpentine. I know that others were not happy with the actions of your family, I know that they thought the same about you. It truly is a lot of pressure for a mind so young."

 

"What do you know? You're not me." Dammit dad, come on. How long does it take to make sandwiches?

 

"Oh, we are more alike than you know." Nadakhan said as he looked at his sword. "Neither of us were liked by our fathers, but at least one of us committed to the choices we made and didn't stand idly by."

 

"I… I didn't. I spoke up!"

 

" Sure you did. I'm sure the others would agree with you."

 

"Shut up! I'm not like you! I just wish I was like the ninja, someone who people actually loved and wanted to protect them!"

 

A plate shattered on the floor behind him. Arcturus gasped. “NO! Pythor don't wish for anything from him!”

 

“Too late.” The djinn grinned. "As you wish , Pythor."

 

Pythor was blown back and fell into a tree, grunting as he smacked into tree branches one after the other until he hit the ground.

 

"Ugh… what just happened?" He groaned and rubbed his head as he sat up.

 

There was shouting in the woods, and Pythor gasped as several armored samurai broke through the treeline.

 

"What in the underworld is going on?!" He yelled as he dashed away from them.

 

"Samurai are chasing a ninja who just assassinated a ruthless warlord. I wonder if our hero will make it out this time?"

 

Pythor yelped as an arrow flew past his head and looked over to see Nadakhan sitting behind glass in a chair while eating popcorn.

 

"Hero? What is this?!" Pythor demanded.

 

"This is your wish. You are a ninja in 'The Amethyst Blade' who protects people of the lower classes from the cruel elites. People love your character and dress up like him all the time. It is a very popular program, but it is quite… graphic."

 

Pythor was about to retort, but grunted as a blade slashed across his left arm, and a samurai on horseback blocked him off. He turned to go around him, and two more mounted samurai surrounded him.

 

"I don't want to die though! Get me out of here!"

 

"Sorry, but I don't do favors. It looks like this is the series finale." The djinn said.

 

"You son of a bitch! I wish I never met you!" Pythor yelled as a blade went straight for his head, when suddenly the ground beneath him opened up.

 

He screamed as he fell into a pool of water that rushed over his head, and forced his head above it as he came up coughing. His eyes widened as he looked around and realized where he was.

 

"No… no no no no no no no!"

 

Pythor looked around at every wall and corner, desperately searching for any way out he could find. Thunder roared outside as lightning struck and lit up the room, revealing the djinn floating in the corner.

 

"How are you liking your wish, Pythor?"

 

"Then what is this?!" He asked as he climbed on top of a dresser to get out of the rising water.

 

"This, my good friend, is the future. Or rather, what would have been the future had your ship never encountered mine. Your father, Aihtiram, was a prideful fool, thinking he alone knew what was best for everyone. He ignored the weather warnings of his navigator and sailed this ship right into a maelstrom."

 

Pythor pushed himself up on his tail as water poured in through the window and the door, staring down at it with shaking eyes as it crept closer and closer to the ceiling.

 

"Tell me, prince, how long can you hold your breath?"

 

Pythor whimpered as the water went up to his chest. He couldn't get out, the water was coming in too strong.

 

"If you're going to make your last wish, I suggest you do it now… while you still can."

 

Thunder boomed again, and Pythor flinched as the water crept up to his neck now.

 

"Fuck… fuck… I… I wish I was safe and not in this sinking ship!"

 

"Your wish is yours to keep…"

 

Pythor screamed as it felt like he was being whipped around and around as he was sucked into the djinn blade.

 

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Chapter 17: Tiger Widow Island

Summary:

Pythor is saved from the spell of Nadakhan's sword thanks to Wisp. Now trapped in Ninjago City with an antagonistic Kai and the police quickly racing to catch them, Pythor is forced to officially break the law to save him and the other ninja. Escaping Ninjago City for Cliff Gordon's mansion, Pythor's arrival divides the ninja when they begin to make plans for heading to Tiger Widow Island, not knowing that the Sky Pirates are hot on their tails.

Warning, this chapter contains attempted rape and minor vomiting

[May 12th, 12:30 pm]

 

Pythor had never felt so rested before, everything was so peaceful. He could sleep like this forever…

 

Suddenly, he was whipped around, and he heard something.

 

"PYTHOR! WAKE UP!"

 

Pythor opened his eyes and saw himself in a green environment filled with hundreds of green crystals, everything around him covered in them. He looked up and saw Wisp, the dragon holding him in his paw, although the green crystals were quickly covering him as well.

 

He gasped when he took another look around him. There were so many people there. Griffin Turner, Ash, Erik, even Wu.

 

"Wisp!" Pythor called out, his voice sounded like it was in slow motion. Wisp saw what he was pointing at and shook his head.

 

"We can't help them. We stay here any longer and we'll join them!"

 

Pythor slithered out of his grasp and coiled up his leg, climbing onto his back and grabbing onto a spine. He pointed ahead of them when he saw a purple anacondrai. "Grab her!"

 

Wisp grabbed Skylor in his claws, and Pythor whipped his tail out when he saw a flash of red beside him.

 

"Hold on!" Wisp yelled and tucked his wings in as they spun towards a glowing white light.

 

Pythor flinched as everything became bright all of a sudden, and was nearly jerked off Wisp when the dragon crashed into a tree that snapped. Wisp shook off the leaves and twigs and landed on the ground, carefully releasing a shaking Skylor.

 

"What the fuck?!" Kai yelled as Pythor set him on Wisp's back, then noticed who was in front of him. " Pythor?! "

 

“Sup?”

 

"You will pay dearly for that dragon!" Nadakhan yelled.

 

"Nothing is going to separate me from my mate!" Wisp snarled. “Release the others! Now!”

 

Nadakhan sent out poison gas from his sword, but Wisp shot lightning at the djinn, who vanished in a cloud of dust.

 

"What the fuck are you doing here, Pythor?" Kai asked.

 

"I'm saving your ass. You're lucky I saw you in that blade, we almost passed you." Pythor said and looked down at Skylor. "You okay?"

 

"A little shaken, but… I suppose so." She said and dusted herself off.

 

Sirens echoed throughout the city, and several police cars and a large van sped around the corner and headed straight for them.

 

"Shit… Wisp… I think they're here for you." Skylor said.

 

"Like hell they are!" Pythor said and jumped off Wisp to dash towards the police. He slammed his hands down on the pavement and sent out arcs of energy, making a wall of asphalt block the road ahead of them. “As for this oversized watch…” He pressed his hand to the GPS monitor and deconstructed it into scrap metal.

 

"Give me your hand!" Skylor yelled as she raced over.

 

"Skylor, they're not after you, but they will be if you help!" Kai said as she grabbed him anyways along with Pythor, copying their powers.

 

"Not if they don't see me. Go!" She said as she turned invisible.

 

"Come on, let's go!" Pythor said as he climbed on Wisp behind Kai.

 

"Hey, I don't take orders from you!" Kai yelled, and Pythor patted Wisp, who took off.

 

"Are you gonna make this difficult?" Pythor asked.

 

"I have to help my friends. I need to get them out of here."

 

"You think they'll all be able to fit on here with us?" Pythor asked again, and smiled. "I have an idea! Where's the bounty? I heard it was seized."

 

"It's at the impound lot on 16th street, but you won't be able to get it out, we tried already!"

 

"Just trust me! I can get it out!" Pythor said and hurried off.

 

Kai frowned, but steered Wisp in that direction anyways. Once they reached the junkyard, Pythor used his alchemy to break a hole in the fence and immediately ran over to the chains on the bounty, pressing his hand to each one and shattering them.

 

"Alright, we're good." Pythor said, and Kai started to climb up.

 

"I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you, snake."

 

Pythor looked over and yelped as a hessian shepherd charged over barking and backed him up against the bounty. He looked up and saw a man with a mullet pointing a rifle at them and another with a beanie hat holding a handgun, and Kai froze.

 

"Hey, hair gel, I told you to stay the hell away from here. You ain't gettin away this time. On the ground, both of you!"

 

Kai climbed down and put his hands in the air, also backing up to the ship. Everyone heard snarling and turned to see Wisp climbing over a junk pile, lightning gathering in his mouth.

 

"Tell your dragon to back off or we pull the trigger." The man in the beanie hat said as he moved his finger closer over the trigger. The other one whistled and the dog stepped back some.

 

"You really think you're faster than lightning?" Kai asked.

 

"You really want to risk us pulling the trigger and blowing your brains out if we ain't? Tell it to stand down, now!"

 

Pythor looked over at Wisp and motioned for him to calm down. Wisp hesitated, but stopped charging up his lightning and then Pythor looked back at the two repo officers. "There, happy?"

 

"We will be once you're both back in Kryptarium. Drew, call the popo and animal control." The mullet man said.

 

"Kai… when I move, get on the ship and get it started." Pythor whispered.

 

"What? They have guns!"

 

"Just do it." Pythor hissed, and threw his arms up in the air, moving both guns up and causing the men to fire upwards. He turned invisible and darted forwards, and the two men backed up as they looked around and the dog started sniffing.

 

"Where'd he go?!" Drew yelled as he and the other man swept their guns back and forth.

 

"I don't know. Hey!" The man with the mullet aimed his rifle at Kai running up the steps to the helm, when suddenly his gun was yanked to the side and ripped out of his hands. Pythor held it tight and swung it at the man, connecting with his head and sent him crumpling to the ground as the bounty started up.

 

The dog snarled and lunged at Pythor, who felt it bite down on his tail. He grunted and whipped his tail up and down, trying to shake the dog off, and it jumped at his chest. Pythor blocked its bite with his metal arm and tried to shake it off to no avail, but froze when he heard a click behind him.

 

"Now come on out where I can see you, snake, and I won't have to clean your blood out of Marshall's fur."

 

The dog released its bite and barked at something as Pythor revealed himself, and Pythor heard a bang and a yell as the other man was sent flying down the junkyard. Wisp stood over Pythor and roared at the dog, making it whimper and scamper away.

 

"Climb on." Wisp said, and Pythor climbed up on his head and got seated on his back. Wisp flapped his wings and took off, quickly catching up to Kai, who already had the bounty in the air.

 

The bounty was steered over several streets and lowered its anchors. Pythor watched as the other ninja climbed up on it and went into the ship, and they all flew out of the city.

 

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Wisp and the Bounty landed near the back of a large mansion, and Pythor hopped off as the other ninja exited the ship.

 

"Everybody okay?" Pythor asked.

 

"What are you doing here, Pythor?" Cole asked as he came over.

 

"I'm helping you."

 

Cole laughed and rolled his eyes. "Well, we don't need it, so you can run or fly off or whatever."

 

"That's gratitude for ya. Who do you think helped get the bounty here?"

 

"Uhhh, me?" Kai said.

 

"Dude, you'd have a hole in your back if I didn't cover your ass and keep those two repo guys and their dog off you so that you could."

 

Fria stepped over to him. “Fine. You roughed up a couple of law-abiding citizens and their doggy. You did a good deed, now get lost.”

 

Pythor started hissing and clenched his fists, but Lloyd quickly stepped in between them, waving his hands. "Alright, hold on, hold on. Everyone settle down. What's going on? The last thing we saw happen to Kai was Nadakhan grabbing him and then vanishing."

 

“As soon as he did that I told him to take me back, but he ‘doesn't do favors’, so I had to wish for it. He sent me back alright, 40 years back into the serpentine war. Right into the battle of Hiroshi's Labyrinth.” He said, and some of the ninja shuddered. “After a… couple more twisted wishes, well, I don't remember what happened after them.”

 

"How?" Jay wondered.

 

"Because I was trapped in it too. I got emotional and started making wishes, and then I got sucked inside. I'm only here now thanks to Wisp."

 

"Is that where you went, Wisp?" Jay asked, and Wisp nodded. "How did you know Pythor was in there?"

 

"I just felt him in trouble. I wasn't going to leave my mate in some kind of eternal sleep." Wisp answered, and smiled at Pythor, but flinched as he walked over.

 

"Hey, you okay buddy?" Jay asked as he walked over and saw Wisp keeping his right forepaw slightly elevated. "Let me see your paw."

 

"It's fine." Wisp said as he looked under it.

 

"Shit, were you shot Wisp?!" Pythor immediately bolted over at Jay's discovery.

 

“Oh. Kai and I were being held at gunpoint at the impound lot, and Wisp saved me. Sorry Wisp." Pythor said and rubbed his head. "Are you okay?"

 

"I'll be fine." Wisp said.

 

"It's alright, Pythor. It doesn't look like it went in deep, but I want to get the bullet out before we leave though. I don't want it getting infected or causing him more pain." Jay said. "Nya, can you get some medical supplies?"

 

Nya nodded and left, and Pythor looked around. “Where's Terra and the kids?”

 

Wisp hung his head. “Terra and the other dragons were arrested. The children were… put in cages. I was the only one who was able to escape the monastery.” Pythor hissed and turned, only for Wisp to growl. “Stop. You'll only get yourself killed. Flare was already shot protecting his children.”

 

“You expect me to just stand here? I'm their father! Our children don't belong in a cage!”

 

“I'm their father too!” Wisp roared, and sighed. “I will not see my mate get killed though in a suicidal rampage. We can't do anything for them from where we are now. The best thing we can do is obtain proof of Nadakhan's magic so we can prove that the ninja and us dragons are innocent.”

 

“And then sue the Ninjagonian government for unlawful use of force?”

 

“Definitely. We'll strike them for every penny we can.” He said as Nya came out and started tending to his paw.

 

“Hey, Pythor, we're getting ready to make a plan. We're heading to the garden to do it because we figured we could use the tranquility.” Lloyd said as he came over.

 

Zane crossed his arms. "Lloyd, the rest of us did not agree on Pythor joining us. We don't know why he is doing this." Something on his chest then lit up and a holographic screen formed in front of him.

 

“I think he's just here to cause problems for us. Maybe even sell us out to Nadakhan.” Pixal said.

 

“That idea is full of shit Pixal, and you both know it. I am sick and tired of everyone giving me shit at every moment of my goddamn day! Do I need a reason for everything? Do I need to have some ulterior motive for anything I do? Can't I just do something because I want to or because I feel for people?! Huh?" Pythor half-yelled, gesturing to all of them.

 

"Zane, Pixal, we have the bounty, Kai, and Skylor back now thanks to him. Plus, I know Pythor. I'm his friend." Jay said as he stepped forward and stood beside him. Wisp even growled at Zane. "I think he should come with us. He's a good person and he can help."

 

"Jay's right. Besides, we're wasting time arguing about this. We caught up with Fria, we need to make a plan now.” Lloyd said and motioned them over.

 

"I won't be long, but you can go in ahead." Nya said as she held some tweezers to the bottom of Wisp's paw. Pythor looked up at Wisp, who smiled and gestured his head towards the group. Satisfied that Nya would take good care of him, he left his mate to her while he went over with the others.

 

"Is this really all yours, Jay? How long have you been hiding this?" Kai asked as he looked around at the sprawling garden.

 

"Yeah, it's mine, and I've had it for a little while. I've been saving up for it." Jay chuckled, and rubbed the back of his head with his hand.

 

Pythor raised an eye at that statement, but said nothing as Zane looked around.

 

"I find that highly doubtful. Given the size of this garden and the estate overall, it is likely that this propery would cost several million dollars, far more than any of us would be able to afford with whatever jobs we've been able to keep for the short times between missions."

 

"Well, maybe I won the lottery sometime."

 

“Without telling us?” Cole asked.

 

“If you won millions of dollars, would the first thing you did be to tell your friends and family?”

 

“Wel- okay, I see your point.”

 

"It's okay Jay,” Pythor reached over to put an arm around his shoulder. “you don't need to explain however you got the money, as long as it's legal. This sure is a nice place you got here. I'm already in love with it."

 

Lloyd cleared his throat as they took a seat. “Pythor, what do you remember seeing inside the sword? If anything?"

 

"I saw your sensei and Misako in there, along with my friend Erik and the other elemental masters. Plus I think there were a lot of civilians in there. That's part of why I want to help. I want to get them out."

 

"Well, I think you can help us. Welcome aboard." Lloyd said. Nya soon came over and took a seat along with Wisp. Wisp followed her and carefully laid down on the stone walkway next to them.

 

"How are you feeling, Wisp?" Pythor asked and leaned forwards.

 

“Still alright, Frosty, but thanks for your concern.” He said and winked at him, making Pythor's heart flutter. Fria groaned at the affection displayed between them.

 

"He'll be fine." She said as she showed a plastic bag with a bullet in it. "The bullet didn't go in more than 2 or 3 centimeters. I bandaged up his paw and that was it."

 

"Alright, thanks Nya." Jay said and looked around. "Alright, now that we're all here, let's get to work."

 

Lloyd spoke first. "Firstly, does anyone think it's possible that we could pass into the sword using Fria and Wisp to get Wu, Misako, and the other elemental masters out? We could probably get most if Pythor and I transformed as well."

 

"Mmmm, I think it's too risky. Crystals were starting to grow on Wisp, and I don't think he was in there for very long. The longer we were in there, the more tired we got. We barely made it out. Plus we don't know if Nadakhan has put enchantments on the sword to make it harder now.”

 

“Yeah, that strange realm has some kind of power in it. I was almost completely covered by the time I got my strength to get out.”

 

"Ugh, sounds like it's not worth the risk if it will set in that quickly. Back to the original plan." Fria said, looking at Nya.

 

"Alright, thanks to Cole getting the map from the Misfortune's Keep and Captain Soto's help, we now know that tiger widow venom is a djinn's only weakness. It makes them too weak to fight or teleport away, and it fatigues the mind so that they can't think clearly and twist a wish to their own needs." She said and pointed to a spot on the map. "This is where we need to go. Tiger Widow Island."

 

"Neither Pixal nor I have any recollection of that island in our databanks." Zane said.

 

"I do. It's a very dangerous place. I haven't been there before, but I've heard there's a temple on it where the tiger widow is worshiped." Pythor said. "If it has a home, I think that's where we'll find it."

 

“And how do you know about it?”

 

“Hello? Serpentine prince? Grew up with the largest library on the continent? My kind charted the stars and discovered the world was round?”

 

"Well let's go, the sooner we get there, the sooner we stop Nadakhan from ripping even more chunks off of this continent." Cole said and picked up the map.

 

“Say what?” Pythor asked as everyone went into the Destiny's Bounty, but Zane stopped Pythor at the entrance.

 

"Don't expect this to be a permanent arrangement. As soon as Nadakhan is taken care of, you're on your own." Zane said.

 

"Don't worry, you made your feelings for me perfectly clear with Fangtom." Pythor said and pushed himself past him.

 

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"Fine, I made a wish with Nadakhan."

 

Pythor blinked and knocked on the door he had just come by. "Hey guys, it's me. Can I come in?"

 

"Yes."

 

"No."

 

Pythor rolled his eyes and the door opened up, revealing Jay and Cole on the other side. Jay motioned Pythor in and shut the door behind him.

 

"Why are you letting him in?"

 

"Because I trust him."

 

Cole laughed derisively and sat down in a chair. "That's rich. Have you forgotten who he is?"

 

"Cole, stop being such an asshole to him. He's already proven he's a nice person now." Jay hissed. "Yes, I made a couple of wishes with Nadakhan when we were alone."

 

"What did you wish for?" Pythor asked as he leaned back against the wall.

 

"Basically that I had been born rich and famous, that way I could impress Nya. Then I got a letter finding out that my father died and I inherited this place."

 

"Ed died?" Cole asked with wide eyes.

 

"No, my father , not my dad. Turns out I'm adopted, even though I already figured that out."

 

"So who owned that place? They must be pretty rich to have all this stuff." Pythor wondered.

 

"Cliff Gordon."

 

"Who?"

 

"He's some movie star. Apparently he's my father."

 

"Woah, I had no idea that you were related to that guy." Cole said and looked out the window at the mansion. "He really gave you all that?"

 

"I guess. Don't know why he gave it to a son he never knew though." Jay shrugged.

 

"What about your second wish?" Pythor wondered.

 

"That I wasn't alone with him anymore. Then Nya came in and I wasn't able to make my third."

 

"How could you start making wishes with him? Everyone who has disappeared!" Cole asked.

 

"It's not like I knew that! Kai wasn't taken till after the sky pirates started attacking Ninjago City."

 

"'Sky pirates'? That's what you're calling them?"

 

"Yeah, they're pirates who have taken to the skies."

 

"That is so dumb…" Cole muttered.

 

"Look, it doesn't matter what they're called." Pythor said. "Why did you want to impress Nya, Jay? I thought you unlocked your true potential when you realized she loved who you were, and that you didn't have to pretend to be someone you weren't?"

 

"I did, but… people change, they grow up, and their lives are different. Cole, do you remember when we were in the first spinjitzu master's tomb, and I said I saw me opening a movie theater?" Jay asked, and Cole nodded. "Well, I lied. I… I actually saw me and Nya together, and we… we had a family… as serpentine."

 

"You saw yourself with children?" Pythor asked.

 

"Yeah, and… I'd love to have some someday, but she's made it painfully clear that I never stand a chance with her. So when Nadakhan found me, I couldn't resist. But who am I kidding? Nothing I do would impress her. After two wasted wishes, I was barely able to escape without making my third."

 

"You have to tell them." Cole said.

 

"Woah, why?" Pythor wondered.

 

"I wasn't talking to you."

 

"Cole, I can't. If Nya finds out I resorted to making wishes to change her life, she'll be furious! You remember how upset she was when Dareth was being sexist towards her. Please, just help me out and keep it to yourself."

 

Cole groaned and put a hand on his forehead for a moment. "If anyone else gets hurt…"

 

"You don't need to threaten him, Cole. Jay didn't know that making wishes caused people to vanish and make Nadakhan stronger, and I don't think he hurt anyone by doing so.”

 

"You really think I care about what you think?" Cole demanded as he stood up to face him. "I don't think you have any ground to stand on when you've hurt as many people as you have. Do you even remember when you tried to kill my father? How I almost lost him after finally reconnecting with him?"

 

"Of course I remember, and I'm sorry for that, okay?" Pythor hissed. “Let me take responsibility for my actions.”

 

"No, we're not okay. I already lost one parent. You really think saying 'sorry' can fix that fear you caused? Of me losing the only family I had left?! It's bad enough you've already forced your way into our lives by knocking my dragon up.”

 

"I thought you didn't care what I thought?" Pythor sneered.

 

Cole clenched his teeth and his fists and quickly stepped towards him, but Jay got between them and pointed to the door to the room.

 

"Get. Out. Now."

 

Cole grunted and shoved his arm off, and walked through the door without saying a word. Jay leaned his head against the door and groaned.

 

"Fuck, I'm really sorry about that, Pythor."

 

"Why are you apologizing for that asshole?" Pythor asked as he crossed his arms.

 

"Because I like you, and you're my friend." Jay said and came over to sit down next to him, but Pythor frowned and looked away. Jay put a hand on his shoulder. "I saw how concerned you were about Wisp's paw. I also wanted to thank you for looking out for him."

 

"He's actually been the one looking out for me. He saved my life. Twice actually. It's the least I could do."

 

"'Twice'? When was the first ti-oooh."

 

“Yeah. What the hell is his problem though? He's acting like I raped her. She held me up against the wall after I started pleasuring her in my sleep! She was awake and didn't stop me! We had even been rubbing against each other for three days before that!”

 

“I know. I think he just doesn't like you getting involved in his life. He's already blaming you for turning her against him.”

 

“Blaming me, for her wanting to ride my dick.”

 

“Yup.”

 

“Does he even know that I missed their hatching?”

 

“Yeah, but he doesn't care. That sparked a huge argument between him and Terra. I'd knock some sense into his head if it wouldn't fall right out in his current state.”

 

“I appreciate it, Jay. Also, can I give you some advice about Nya?”

 

“Sure?”

 

“Tell her the truth. Trust me. It's better to do it sooner rather than later. Do you really want silver-tongued Nadakhan telling her what you did?”

 

“Oh my god… no I don't. But… she'll be upset!”

 

“Yes it will probably make her upset initially, but I think she'll appreciate you taking initiative and responsibility. Couples have fights or arguments, trust me, I’ve already had one with Salome and I wasn’t able to control my temper. I don’t want to see you two break up. If you two really love each other as much as I think you do, you'll work this out.”

 

“Alright, I'll give it a shot. Want to play some video games?”

 

“I'd love to, sure. Sounds like a fun way to pass the time. But first, talk to her.” He said, and smiled pointing to the door.

“Alright, I’ll get on it. Thanks buddy.”

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A few hours later, Pythor sat in the galley of the ship with his head resting on his prosthetic hand and looked at the floor.

 

"Hey, Pythor. How are you doing?"

 

He glanced up and saw Nya coming into the room, holding a couple of plates, and he shrugged. "I'm doing alright, I guess."

 

"Is anything wrong?" She asked as she sat down next to him.

 

"Not much. Cole, Kai, Zane, and Pixal won't stop treating me like shit, I'm stuck in a ship flying over a massive ocean in a thunderstorm, I'm a wanted fugitive now, I feel like I'm going to puke, and I'm itching all over. Oh, plus Casper here thinks I raped his dragon, even though she wanted to fuck me."

 

"I guess you are going through a lot. Guess you don't want lunch?"

 

"I'd probably just hurl it up anyways." Pythor sighed and put his chin in his hands. "I don't know what I'm going to do about everyone, especially Terra's children. I mean, I don't have a lot of money. How can I be a responsible father?"

 

"I'm sorry. I wis-" She started and stopped when Pythor glanced up at her. "If only my brother wasn't such a jerk to you. You don't deserve this."

 

"Are you sure about that? Fria seemed to think so when she iced the floor outside the hallway and made me hit my chin on a door handle.”

 

"Yes, I am. You have done horrible things to him, but that's in the past, and I think you've more than made up for your actions before. Fria has no right to be so abusive towards you.”

 

Pythor took off a glove on his right hand and looked at the metallic and silicone fingers. "You really think I've made up for the shit I've done?”

 

"Lloyd hasn't stopped talking about you, you know?" Nya said and smiled at him, taking his prosthetic hand into hers. "He's so grateful to you for saving his life, and wishes you hadn't lost your arm doing so."

 

"I wish the others would appreciate that.” He noticed Nya looking at him. “I used up all my wishes. Nadakhan's got nothing on me. Anyways, I know it sounds selfish to expect appreciation for saving a life, but it's like no one cares about it."

 

"To be honest, I think you're owed a little gratitude." Pythor smiled at that.

 

“Cole has been the one giving me the most trouble lately. Him and Zane. Cole hates me for trying to kill his father, and Zane hates me for actually doing it for his. Then there's the issue of me having sex with Terra and knocking her up." Pythor said and buried his head in his arms.

 

"Well, I know he hasn't exactly been nice to you, but I still wanted to thank you for saving my brother."

 

"Sure." He sighed. "I'm starting to think that my wish will never come true."

 

"And what wish was that?"

 

"That… that I could join you, be one of you and protect people. I know, it's probably silly, and you'll say that it's not."

 

"Well, of course. I think you'd really fit in."

 

He let out a muffled laugh from under his arms. "Please, spare me the bullshit." He felt her put an arm across his back and looked up as he wiped his eyes.

 

"Pythor, when you were at Garmadon's monastery as a dragon, you were so nice and active. You actually looked happy. Plus, you trusted me enough to show yourself to me even though you knew how I'd react. I think that, and you sacrificing yourself for Lloyd speaks volumes for your bravery, compassion, and honesty."

 

Pythor wiped his eyes again and saw her smiling, and held his hands together. "You're really nice, you know that?"

 

"Thanks." She said, and grunted with Pythor as the ship rocked suddenly to the side as thunder roared. Pythor started shaking as he looked around for a place to hide, and a voice came over the loudspeaker.

 

"All crew members report to the bridge immediately."

 

Nya got up and motioned for Pythor to come with her, but he didn't get further than the table before he froze again.

 

"Nya… I… I can't."

 

"Don't worry, in this kind of weather the bridge will be enclosed. I'll stay with you."

 

He looked up at that. "You… you will?"

 

"Yeah, I promise."

 

Pythor hesitated for a second and followed her out to the bridge, and she stayed right by his side as promised. As they came out onto the bridge, Pythor yelped as he saw pouring rain and intense lightning flashes outside the windows, and held the door frame tightly.

 

Zane frowned upon noticing Pythor joining them, while Kai snickered upon seeing him shaking and hiding like a little kid, earning a glare from his sister.

 

"Now that we're all here, we have a problem." Zane said and pointed to a map. "Typhoon Keni moved faster than we thought it would, and is moving to block our path."

 

"How are we going to get through it? We've never taken the bounty into one before." Jay asked.

 

"We aren't going through it. We're going to go around it. If we were to head south of it, we'd encounter massive turbulence and could damage the ship. Based on my analysis, we should head to the north, that way, we can use the tailwind to boost our acceleration and ride it around to our destination."

 

"That sounds… intense." Pythor said.

 

Pixal's face appeared on the screen. "Well if we want to make it to Tiger Widow Island before fulcrum turns into swiss cheese, we don't have any other option. You can't fly above the typhoon due to oxygen limitations."

 

"Well, if it's the only way we got, then let's do it." Lloyd asked.

 

"Wisp is up top protecting the core of the ship from lightning strikes." Zane said and pointed to the ceiling. "Fria is below deck. I doubt either of them want to risk flying in these winds."

 

"Alright, everyone should stay inside the ship and ride it out. It's far too risky to go outside with the wind gusts." Cole said.

 

The ship rocked again, and Pythor groaned as he darted down the passageway and found a trash can. He put his head over it and groaned again as he vomited into it several times.

 

"Looks like someone doesn't have the strongest stomach, eh?" Kai said as he strolled past him.

 

"Up yours, Kai." Pythor coughed as he felt his stomach churning more.

 

"Aw come on, I'm just making a simple observation. You're scared of thunder and the ocean. Seriously, how did you get the mech dragon out of the ocean?"

 

"I don't. want. to talk. about it." He hissed.

 

"Kai, leave him alone." Nya said.

 

"Why should I? Don't you remember what our uncle said about him?"

 

"No, I was only three or four, and we're not doing this now." She stressed.

 

Kai opened his mouth as if to retort, but Nya shook her head and crossed her arms, and he groaned.

 

"I need Nya and someone else to come up to the helm." Zane said over the intercom. Nya and Kai got up and hurried up, and once they were, Zane came down the steps and started heading down the passageway.

 

"Zane, where are you going? We're not supposed to be alone."

 

"I'm going to my room to look for some things, and I won't be alone, I'll have Pixal." He said, and went inside his room, shutting the door behind him.

 

"So, Pythor, how have you been doing lately?" Lloyd asked as Pythor sat down next to them.

 

"Horrible. I hate bumpy flights." He said and held his head in his hands.

 

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. How about before the flight?"

 

"I… haven't been doing too good lately. I was impulsive and broke up with my girlfriend. I haven't stopped thinking of her every day since I have." He sighed.

 

"Ummmm… Salome… right?" Jay asked.

 

"Salome? You actually were dating Skalidor's sister-in-law?" Cole asked.

 

"Yeah, you didn't know?" Pythor asked.

 

"Oh I heard, I just didn't believe it." He said, and Pythor frowned. "How did she fall for someone like you?"

 

"Cole…" Jay hissed.

 

"Well, I did save her life and help her around her house while she healed." Pythor said and pulled his jacket up slightly. "I got this scar from a cougar while I was saving her."

 

"That's really nice of you, Pythor. Man, that looks like it hurt." Lloyd said.

 

"Well, a bite force of almost 2500 kilopascals would hurt."

 

“Yeah. Wait- was that a flash in Zane's room?"

 

Pythor immediately jumped out of his seat and forced the door open, and saw Nadakhan floating in the room and holding his sword.

 

"Now, didn't anyone teach you to knock?"

 

Pythor grunted and transmuted a blade onto his metal arm and lunged at Nadakhan, but the djinn vanished in a cloud of smoke with an echoing chuckle as his blade buried itself in the wooden wall. “Enjoy the storm.”

 

"He got him!" Pythor yelled as he yanked it out.

 

"Uh… guys?" Jay said and looked out the window, his pupils now narrow slits.

 

Everyone went over to look out windows on the port side, and Pythor backed away as his heart started pounding from the sight of the massive waterspout.

 

"Oh god…"

 

Everyone ran up to the bridge as the ship rocked to its side, where Kai and Nya were struggling to control the helm.

 

"We're in trouble!" Nya yelled. The waterspout got closer to the ship, and the windows on the side of the bridge started to crack.

 

"Cole! Get below deck!" Kai yelled, and he nodded as he went downstairs.

 

"Everyone! Brace yourselves, we're going to crash!" Nya yelled again as she and Kai ran to the steps as the glass shattered. Everyone tumbled down the steps as the ship lurched onto its side as it got sucked into the waterspout.

 

Splintering and snapping echoed around them, and Pythor wrapped himself around everyone as a hole was torn in the side of the ship. Pythor saw something flying at his face, and everything went black.

 

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"Pythor… Pythor… can you hear me?"

 

He groaned and lifted a hand up to shield his eyes from the sun, and saw Jay and Lloyd standing over him.

 

"Ugh… fuck my head hurts. Where are we?" Pythor asked, and slowly sat up to see the ocean just 4 meters away from him, and dark storm clouds over the horizon. He screamed and flipped onto his stomach and dashed away from it as fast as he could. He stopped at the treeline and panted as he looked back at the others.

 

It was then that he saw the bounty crashed on the shore, and gasped when he saw the huge crack ¾ the way up the starboard side. "Holy shit…"

 

"Pythor, are you okay?" Jay asked.

 

"I'm fine… I think. I have a pounding headache, but I think I'm fine." He said, and looked around. "Where's Wisp?"

 

"He's with Kai getting a view of the island from above. He should be back any minute now."

 

"Are you all okay?" Pythor asked.

 

"Thanks to you. You kept us all together." Nya said as she came over. "We're lucky Cole didn't get wet in the crash."

 

"Fria had to transform into her feral form to pull the ship out of the water, but she sprained one of her wings when a mast snapped and fell on her. I don't want to have her moving them until we get a splint or sling on her." Cole said and looked up. "Oh, hey, Kai's back."

 

Kai and Wisp touched down in the ground and Kai hopped off of him. "Well, this is definitely Tiger Widow island. I saw a huge temple in the center of the island where a river splits."

 

"Did you see anyone? We'll need help getting off this island with the bounty down and Fria unable to fly." Lloyd asked. “Although, we could see if Pythor here can repair it with his elemental power.”

 

Pythor shrugged. “I can try, but my powers get wonky if I try to use them on big things.”

 

"Alright, we can try that. As for me, I didn't see anyone. The temple and any buildings here are abandoned. I don't even think this island has electricity. I also didn't see Zane."

 

"Oh yeah, about that, Jay? Do you have anything you want to say?" Cole asked.

 

“What did you do?” Fria growled.

 

He put his hands on his hips. “I didn't do anything to Zane, Fria. All I did was wish that I could impress Nya and then that I wasn't alone with Nadakhan.”

 

“Jay already told me about this. He didn’t buy that mansion, he inherited it from Cliff Gordon, his actual father.”

 

“I don't understand, though.” Kai said. “What does this have to do with Zane?”

 

“Nothing.” Pythor said. “Zane made his own wishes. Cole here said he was going to tell you all that Jay was making wishes if anyone else got hurt. Even though you here admitted that you wished yourself into that sword. Did you forget about that, Cole?”

 

Nya shot a glare at the resident ghost, who in turn sent one towards Pythor. Fria though stepped over to Pythor. “I'll have you know that Zane would never let himself make a wish with Nadakhan when he knows the risk. So if I were you, I wouldn't go questioning my friend's intelligence.”

 

“My mom is right. Zane's smarter than you think. You don't know him like we do.” Kai added, only to jump back as Wisp stepped in and forced him and Fria away from Pythor with a low growl.

 

“Okay, everyone stop it right now.” Lloyd said. “Fighting will only make getting the tiger widow venom and getting off this island harder than it has to be. We're still wanted fugitives, so we need to come up with a plan.”

 

Nya nodded. “Lloyd's right, we need to think about our next course of action. Without the bounty, we're not going anywhere. I think we should work on that while we still have daylight and take care of the Tiger Widow at first light.”

 

“About that,” Pythor raised his hand. “I can help take care of Charlotte.”

 

"Really?” Cole scoffed. “You want to be the one to face that giant venomous spider?"

 

"Yeah. One: I can turn invisible. Two: I can turn into a dragon. Three: I got a cool metal arm that will probably come in handy for blocking bites."

 

“Eh, you want to get yourself killed, fine by me.”

 

"So, what's the plan here?” Kai asked. “We just gonna go into the temple and get the venom? Or should we stay here for now and try to repair the ship?”

 

Lloyd looked out at the ocean and then up at the sky. "Kai, how far away was the temple?"

 

"About 8-10 minutes by flying."

 

"Hmmm… it's probably at least a 3 hour walk then. I was hoping we could split up into groups of 3 or 4, but I don't think we should go stomping through the woods when it's so close to sunset.”

 

“That sounds good. I'm really worn out from all that has happened today. I didn't even have the energy to summon my dragon.”

 

"Do we have to set up camp here ?" Pythor asked as he looked out at the ocean.

 

"Pythor, stop being such a baby. The ocean isn't going to hurt you." Kai sighed.

 

"Kai, knock it off." Lloyd said and smiled at Pythor. "We can set up camp in the trees if you'd like, Pythor."

 

"Th-thanks."

 

[][][]

 

A few hours later, everyone had gathered up the things they needed from the wreckage of the bounty and had completed a substantial amount of repair on the Destiny's Bounty. Now, tents were being set up just in the treeline beyond the beach.

 

As he helped, Pythor still found himself tense though from the jeers that Fria, Kai, and Cole had given him when no one else was in earshot. Even now they were still giving him dirty looks.

 

"This would be so much more enjoyable if we hadn't lost people and weren't on the clock." Nya said.

 

"I know. You remember that time mom and dad took us camping by the river at that one park?"

 

"Yeah. That was so nice."

 

“I hope your dad can get out of the hospital and police custody so that we can do that again. I don't want you to lose him. We still have so much we can do as a family.” Fria said, looking down at them.

 

Pythor couldn't stop the hiss that left his mouth as she said that. She was being all loving and doting with them, but still found it appropriate to recklessly whack tree branches around him? A couple had nearly fell on his neck and tail when he had been cutting wood for the ship!

 

"I love camping." Pythor said with a forced smile. "I used to do it quite a bit with my siblings and my parents whenever we could get away from my mother and father. I also did it with my…" He said and sighed. "It all feels so long ago."

 

"We haven't been camping in so long either. I wi- if only we could just go out and do it just for the fun of it, and not when we're on a mission." Jay said. "I remember being able to see so many stars out at my parents place, the first time I saw them and really understood, it was beautiful."

 

"You can't get that in Ninjago nowadays. Feels like all they care about is clearing forests out just so they can build houses so close to each other that you can touch them with both hands." Cole said. "That's why I'm glad Skalidor follows more reasonable building codes in Arasi no Tsuno, and works to combat light pollution."

 

"Yeah, I love that too. I want my home to stay pretty and natural, and not end up like a bunch of residential neighborhoods." Pythor said and looked down at the fire. 

 

“Say, Pythor, do you think you would like to go camping with me and Rose sometime?” Lloyd asked. “You and I haven't done it together in years, and I think it would be nice for us.”

 

“I'd love to, but I'm a wanted fugitive right now. My family is probably being questioned as we speak.”

 

“I meant after we dealt with Nadakhan, silly. Oh, speaking of family, you were right, we are related.”

 

“Hold up!” Kai yelled, holding his hands out. “What do you mean you and him are related?”

 

“Pythor told me about this a few months ago. He talked with his extended relatives and they told him Wu was their father.”

 

“Lloyd, come on, they're probably making it up and looking for money.” Cole said, only to fall silent when Pythor sharply hissed at him and craned his head over towards him.

 

“They're not, Cole.” Lloyd said, fixing him with his own glare. “I talked with them over video chat, and they're nice people. The DNA test that we both submitted confirmed that Pythor's great-great-grandparents and I are first cousins.”

 

“Plus Pythor's great-great-grandparents are thousands of years old.” Jay added. “Who else has dragon and oni ancestry and has lived for thousands of years?”

 

“Sensei Wu.” Nya added. “But how can we be sure that Wu is the father? Isn't it possible that Garmadon could have had a relationship before Misako?”

 

“I guess it is possible. He did mention he had dated before, but I don't think he had any children with them. Besides, if he had, I'd share more DNA with Pythor's relatives, but the amount that matched is indicative of first cousins, not half-siblings. I don't know if Sensei Wu will agree to a paternity test though.”

 

“I can't believe you're actually related to the man who tried to kill you several times and scarred you for life.”

 

Pythor hissed again. “Believe me, Kai . I'm still struggling with that myself even after all these months.”

 

"Well, I'm getting tired." Nya said. “We can talk about this in the morning.”

 

"Yeah, we should probably turn in soon. I think we should also have a couple of people keep watch, that way we can keep an eye out for the tiger widow, keep each other awake, and make sure Nadakhan doesn't pick us off." Lloyd said.

 

"Sounds like a plan. Who's up first?"

 

"I don't think I should be. I tend to spaz out if I don't get enough sleep." Pythor said.

 

"Spaz out?" Jay asked.

 

"I get seizures."

 

"Holy shit… damn."

 

"Why don't you head to sleep then, Pythor? Do you think you'll be alright if you take the second watch and sleep through the third?" Lloyd asked.

 

"I think so, yes."

 

"Alright then, Cole and I can take the first watch. Kai, Nya, and Wisp can take the last one."

 

Pythor nodded and went over to Wisp, who nuzzled him and shifted onto his side to make room for him. He reached up and ran a hand along his snout and felt his scales. "Goodnight, Wisp."

 

"Goodnight, Pythor."

 

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[4 hours later]

 

"Hey, Pythor?"

 

Pythor felt himself being nudged and opened his eyes to see Lloyd standing in front of him.

 

"It's your turn to keep watch."

 

Pythor groaned and rubbed his eyes. "Ugh, alright."

 

"Do you want to stay asleep? I could probably stay up longer with Jay."

 

"It's alright, you need your sleep too. If I end up nodding off, Jay can shock me."

 

"Well, okay. Guess I'll see you in the morning then. Good night." Lloyd said and yawned.

 

"Good night, scamp." Pythor said and yawned himself before he carefully made his way out of Wisp's sleeping form. He then stretched and made his way over to Jay, who was sitting around the campfire with Fria.

 

Jay looked up and waved him over. "Hey how'd you sleep?"

 

"Alright, wishing I could have slept more though." Pythor said and slithered onto a log.

 

"Same here." He chuckled. Fria got up and huffed as she started walking off. "Hey, Fria, where are you going?"

 

"To find some water."

 

“We're not supposed to be alone. I told Zane not to go off, and look what happened to him.”

 

“I don't know what happened to him, but I do know that you're full of shit. Zane would never be so careless as to make a mistake.”

 

“Your own son was!”

 

She started collecting ice in her mouth, and Jay quickly put a hand on Pythor's shoulder. “Let her get a drink, Pythor. She and the other dragons weren't taken earlier. There's got to be a reason why Nadakhan didn't take them first.”

 

Fria huffed and stormed off, but not before kicking sand at Pythor.

 

“Bitch.” Pythor muttered.

 

"I'm starting to agree with you on that." Jay looked over at Wisp. "How are you and Wisp doing? It can't be easy being in a three-way relationship."

 

“Eh, we're making it work. I'm trying to spend equal amounts of time with him, Terra, and Sally, but… I actually messed up with Sally. I'm trying to patch things up with her.”

 

“I see, well, I hope it works out for you.”

 

“Thanks. Say, do you think I'd be a good fit in the ninja? Lloyd and Nya were saying I should, that I'd be a good fit.”

 

“I think you would, yeah. Sure, half of our group doesn't like you, but you could do some real good for people, and you'd be able to work on that elemental power of yours. Wu is an amazing teacher. Tell ya what, once we free the others from inside the sword of souls and take care of Nadakhan, we can ask Sensei Wu. I'm sure he'll say yes."

 

"Thanks Jay, really. I'll give it a shot." Pythor said and smiled at him, then looked over at the treeline and his smile started to fade. "Sure feels like Fria has been gone for a while, huh?"

 

"Yyyyeeeeah, it does. Something doesn't feel right."

 

Pythor got up and started to head over to the trees. "I'm going to go take a look."

 

"Are you sure going alone is a good idea?"

 

"Dude, I'm a serpentine who can turn invisible, transmute just about anything, and turn into a giant, fire-breathing dragon. I think I'll be fine." He said and grinned.

 

"Alright, just… be careful okay?"

 

"Of course, and if you see Nadakhan while you're keeping watch, zap first, wish later. I don't want to come back and find out you got trapped in that blade too. In fact, maybe you should wake Wisp up."

 

Jay nodded, and Pythor slithered into the treeline, following the tracks that Fria left. Pythor summoned a sphere of light in one of his hands to better illuminate the tracks, and frowned when he saw deep marks in the dirt near them.

 

He reached down and picked up some of the dirt between his fingers. "Still fresh, and this many holes in the dirt in close proximity… gotta be the tiger widow."

 

He stood up and looked at where the tracks from the spider and Fria's were, and frowned even more as he continued on. He soon got to a river and noticed drag markings. "Well that can't be good."

 

The tense feeling in Pythor's gut only grew as the tracks continued deeper and deeper into the forest, and a little while later, he heard growling and roaring coming from a cave. His eyes widened when he realized it was Fria, and he creeped inside, only to gasp at what he saw.

 

Fria was lying on her back, writing and shifting as her limbs and snout laid bound with thick strands of silk. The tiger widow was crawling over her and positioned a translucent green tube at her slit.

 

“OH NO YOU DON'T!” Pythor yelled and channeled lightning magic into his hands, and zapped the tiger widow.

 

The spider whirled around and hissed at him as its ovipositor retracted into its body. A pink glow enveloped Pythor's body as it grew and transformed into a dragon. He snarled at the spider who hissed back and lunged at him. “That's right, come and get it!”

 

Pythor leapt back and released a jet of bright blue fire at the spider, which screeched and leapt back to get out of them. The tiger widow started moving its legs behind it, and Pythor grunted when his snout became enveloped in a net of silk.

 

He tried opening his mouth and burning it, but winced and yelped when the flames started burning the inside of his mouth. The tiger widow lunged at him while he was trying to claw the silk off, and he just barely turned and blocked its bite with his metal leg, the spider's fangs screeching against the metal.

 

Pythor shoved it off and slashed at it with one of his claws, cutting into it's forelegs and making it rear back. He swiped again, and the tiger widow lunged right as he did, its fangs scraping along his scales and nearly piercing his hide. Both of them backed away, each waiting for the other to make a move.

 

Pythor quickly placed a paw to his snout and deconstructed the silk, freeing his maw and allowing him to breathe fire at the tiger widow once more. It jumped back, but Pythor followed it and kept searing it. He pressed a paw to the ground, and a pillar of earth slammed into it's abdomen.

 

It was immediately sent flying through the air onto its back. He didn't hesitate and jumped over the pillar, smashing a paw into the bottom of its abdomen and pinning it to the ground. The spider screeched as his head lunged down, his fangs sinking into its body and crushing it in his teeth. He ripped his jaws out, tearing the tiger widow's heart and intestines out, killing it instantly.

 

He panted and spat out what was in his mouth and looked at Fria, whose eyes were locked onto his. He sighed and went over to her, deconstructing the silk just like had for himself. “You okay?”

 

“Of course I'm okay! I had things under control!” She growled as she quickly got to her feet and shook herself.

 

“Fria, I saw what had happened. It's okay to not be okay after that. I'd be terrified and shaken up too if I had been in your position. That spider was fucking scary.”

 

“I am okay. I wasn't scared or shaken up. I'm fucking fine!”

 

He sighed and decided not to press the issue. It wasn't smart to argue about her well-being, especially after how he had burdened himself with Salome's. He looked over at the tiger widow.

 

"Okay, I'm sorry. I think we should go back to the others and tell them that the tiger widow is… OH SHIT! THE VENOM!"

 

Pythor flipped the spider over and transformed back into a serpentine. He placed his hands to the ground and transmuted three metal jars. He quickly picked them up and went over to the tiger widow's head, using his metal hand to milk the fangs and his telekinesis to hold the jars.

 

He filled up each of the jars with the venom and sealed them closed, then gathered them in his tail.

 

"Alright, got the venom." He said and made his way over to Fria. “We really need to get back to the others now before they ruin everyone's sleep by waking them up. Can I ride back on you?”

 

“No. You have a tail. You can slither.” She said, and immediately walked out of the cave and took off, leaving him behind hissing at her.

 

He made his own way out and transformed himself, carefully scooping up the canisters and flying after her. He caught up to her just as she was landing at the camp, and he made sure to sweep his tail at her, pelting her scales with sand.

 

“That's for leaving me behind. I'd say we're even now.” He said, smirking even as she growled at him. He promptly made his way over to Jay and Wisp, and dropped the canisters at their feet. "Here. This is the tiger widow's venom. I got extra just in case."

 

"Where is it?"

 

"It's dead."

 

"So this is all we got. Well, alright, thanks." Jay said and took them. “What took you so long to find her? What was she doing?”

 

“You'd have to ask her that. I haven't had any luck talking with her.”

 

“She didn't get into a fight with you, did she?” Wisp asked.

 

“Please, I'm above such behavior.” She scoffed.

 

“You almost froze him earlier.” Wisp snapped.

 

“Alright, keep it down you two. The others are sleeping.” Jay hissed. “We still have the rest of our watch to do.”

 

“Yay, what fun.” Pythor said and rolled his eyes.

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The next morning, Pythor was helping the rest of the ninja load the tents and camping supplies back onto the bounty. He yawned as he hoisted sleeping bags over his shoulder. The situation with Fria last night had left him frustrated and made it harder to get back to sleep, so he was running on a less-than-ideal amount.

 

Thankfully, the coffee machine in the galley hadn't been damaged, though the ninja could really do with some better coffee brews. But, beggars can't be choosers.

 

“Hey, Frosty.” Lloyd said, coming in behind him with a tent on his back. “I don't think we ever thanked you for getting us the bounty. Thanks to you, we were able to get here much faster and had a comfortable ride at that.”

 

“As comfortable as it could be until that typhoon turned us into castaways.” He chuckled.

 

“True, but we had some of the comforts of home with us. Plus, we didn't need to steal any vehicles, plus we had camping equipment stocked in here. I'd say your elemental power and geographic knowledge really saved us.”

 

“You're welcome, buddy. It's the least I could do.” He said, and grunted when Nya ran into him.

 

“You need to come up to the bridge, now!” She yelled, and they dropped their bags to come with her.

 

As soon as they got up to the bridge, they all saw on one of the screens, four red dots moving towards them.

 

"What are those?" Pythor asked.

 

"Incoming aircraft." Nya said.

 

"Uhhh… guys?" Kai said and looked up at the sky. Approaching the island was the Misfortune's Keep, a sky shark, and two planes.

 

"Get ready! Are the cannons loaded?" Nya asked.

 

"Forget the cannons! We need to abandon ship, we'll never be able to get airbornw before they're on top of us!” Cole yelled as they ran onto the deck. "Get on your dragons!"

 

Pythor jumped off the ship, only to scream as the deck behind him exploded into splinters and sent him flying into the sand. More cannon shots filled the bounty with holes, and he yelped as he scrambled for the treeline, making it into the trees as explosions echoed behind him.

 

He ducked behind a tree and shuddered as the sounds of cannon and gunfire filled the air, clenching his eyes shut and praying it would stop.

 

"Oh, is the little prince still afraid of loud noises? How could you ever hope to be a ninja?"

 

Pythor grunted and swung his metal arm out, the blade burying itself in a tree right where Nadakhan had been.

 

"I saw the cave, you've met the tiger widow. Where is the venom?"

 

Pythor ripped the blade out of the tree and pointed it at the djinn. "You think I'll tell you just like that? You can have it over my dead body!"

 

"Oh? Well if that's all I need, then…" He said and swung his blade out at Pythor, a clang echoing out as it connected with the one on his arm.

 

Pythor yelled and swung at the djinn, who disappeared in a cloud of smoke. He whipped around and screamed as he was pressed back against a tree as the blade pressed into his metal forearm. He grunted and pressed a hand back against the tree, forcing his element to reduce it to kindling. Splinters filled his back as he and Nadakhan fell over, and he quickly flipped himself over, blocking a strike that would have decapitated him.

 

"It looks like you're no stranger to combat, but let's see how good you really are!"

 

Nadakhan leapt forward and slashed at Pythor several times, who ducked or blocked as many of the strikes as he could. He gasped when Nadakhan grabbed his arm and flipped him over his shoulder, then grabbed his tail and swung him into another tree.

 

"Not that good it seems. Here I thought the prince of the serpentine would be better trained." Nadakhan looked up at an aircraft. "Doubloon! Get down here and finish him off."

 

"Aww, running away already?" Pythor coughed as he got up.

 

"Too busy, I'm afraid. But don't worry, I'll be seeing you soon enough, your head at least!"

 

The djinn puffed away, and a man wearing a cross between samurai armor and pirate clothes slid down a rope. At least, Pythor thought he was a man… until his head literally spun around to reveal a grinning face.

 

"What the fuck…?" He asked, and grunted when the pirate lunged forward with a sword and forced him to leap back. He followed up with another thrust and attempted to slash him across the chest, only scoring a shallow cut.

 

Shit, he's fast, and I don't have enough experience fighting with this blade on my arm. I need to think of something else.

 

Pythor jerked a hand forward and used his telekinesis to throw a rock into Doubloon's chest, making him stumble back. He slammed his hand to the ground and sent pillars erupting out of the ground at him.

 

Doubloon jumped over and ran along them and slashed his sword at Pythor's face, who ducked back and summoned a blue fireball. The pirate jumped to the side, but a follow-up slammed into his chest and knocked him back, his sword flying out of his grasp.

 

Pythor seized the opportunity and lunged forward, aiming his blade straight for the pirate's heart. Their eyes widened and they rolled to the side, kicking their foot out and sending Pythor sprawling onto his back. He flipped over and was immediately sent flying by an orange tornado.

 

Dubloon stopped and grinned at Pythor, then held his hand out and did a "bring it" gesture. Pythor got up and grinned as well. "So that's how you want to play it, huh? Big mistake."

 

Pythor jumped back and spun around, his multicolored spinjitzu dashing towards Dubloon, who gasped and did his own spinjitzu attack. Pythor whipped around him and slammed into him from the side, knocking him over and then face-first into a tree.

 

He stopped and lifted the pirate up with telekinesis and slammed him into another tree. Dubloon slid down the bark and crumpled into the ground, and Pythor dashed off to find Jay.

 

He stopped at a cliff and saw the ninja hanging off a broken bridge, pirates at the top. He saw Wisp lying on the forest floor on the other side, not moving and bloodied, and one of his wings had tears in its skin.

 

"Wisp!"

 

He was still alive, but Pythor could feel the pain that he must have been in. He flinched when he heard a bullet be fired, and Jay let go of the boards, screaming as he fell until Nadakhan caught him and emptied out a jar of the tiger widow venom. Nadakhan disappeared with him, and Pythor was about to jump when two huge, blue arms grabbed him and held him tight.

 

"The captain said you're coming with us. Hope you like flying."

 

Pythor struggled to get out of her grasp, but she put an arm around his neck and squeezed him, choking him out and sending everything to black in a minute.

 

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Chapter 18: Prisoners of the Pirates

Summary:

Oooooo, I've been waiting to post these chapters, this one in particular, because we get introduced to what is one of my favorite characters in Ninjago: Clancee!

Pythor and Jay are taken up to the makeshift Djinjago where they are put to work in order to break their spirits, Jay's especially. Pythor tries his best to protect his friend from the cruel djinn, but as the day goes on, it gets harder and harder, especially when it's time for Scrap'n'tap...

[May 13th, 10:30 am]

 

"So, this is where the pieces of Ninjago have been taken." Pythor said as he looked at all of the floating islands. Patches of forests, city blocks, deserts, and more filling up the sky.

 

"Yes, welcome to Djinjago." Nadakhan said and turned to Jay. "Although, it is not as pretty as the real one was. Had you and your friends not destroyed the cursed realm, it would still be around, and you might have gotten to see it."

 

"Hey! We did what we had to do! The Preeminent wouldn't have stopped at our realm, it would have gone on to curse all of them. Trillions would have suffered!"

 

"I lost my father because of you, so I suggest you take some responsibility if you know what's good for you!" He said and leveled the djinn blade at Jay's throat.

 

"Misfortune's Keep, you are cleared to dock in sector 4. Proceed to dock 3." A voice said on the radio.

 

"Copy that, flight control." A man with a bushy mustache and flight helmet answered. "Cap'n, what be our first order of business?"

 

"Why, introductions of course. I am not a djinn without manners. I want our new guests to get to know their fellow crewmates as soon as we dock."

 

The Misfortune's Keep moved up to a dock and was swiftly tied off. Pythor and Jay were immediately moved off the ship with swords poking at their backs.

 

"You will meet the rest of the crew in time, but for now you will meet those who will be watching over you. First up, first mate Flintlocke."

 

"Greetings." The man with the bushy mustache said. "As the cap'n just said, I'm the first mate. If he ain't around, you take orders from me. My word is his."

 

He moved to a hulking woman with orange and blue skin in a green helmet. "Next, Dogshank."

 

"Pleasure to meet you."

 

"Oh, you're the gal who gave me a hug earlier. How much do you lift?" Pythor asked with a smirk.

 

"More than you can."

 

"Next is a man who both of you have had the pleasure of facing in combat, Doubloon. He doesn't really talk." Nadakhan continued.

 

"Don't think I'll be taking it easy on you just because you're in chains now." Doubloon signed.

 

"Don't worry, I won't." Pythor said, signing also.

 

"Ah, I see you know sign language. Good, that will help." Nadakhan said and moved to a small monkey. "This is the ship's mechanic, we call him Monkey Wretch."

 

The mechanical monkey started hooting and jumping.

 

"H-h-he said you b-b-better not make a mess of his work!" A green serpentine with a pegleg said, and Pythor squinted his eyes as he tilted his head and looked back at him.

 

"Lastly, meet Clancee."

 

Pythor's eyes widened when he heard his name, and he smiled as he held his hands together. "Clancee, is that really you?"

 

"Huh?"

 

"It's me, Pythor. Don't you remember me? From Quetzalcoatl City?" Pythor asked.

 

Clancee scratched his head before his eyes widened and he smiled as well. "Oh my god, it's you! I-I didn't even recognize you! It's been so long!" He immediately jumped forwards and took Pythor into a hug, who instantly returned it.

 

"Awww, you two know each other, that's cute." Nadakhan said as he separated and floated between them. "You'll have plenty of time to catch up later when you're swabbing the deck. Flintlocke, Monkey Wretch, put them to it."

 

"Aye aye." Flintlocke said and nudged them forwards as monkey wretch hopped around them. "Hey, watch where you're jumping. I don't want to hear no complaining if I step on your tail."

 

Monkey Wretch hooted at him and continued on ahead.

 

"How do you know Clancee? I know serpentine don't age like humans do, but we've been gone for ‘bout 200 years, and you don't look like an old timer. Sound like one though."

 

"Well, smoking will do that to you. As for Clancee, he and his sister were my only friends when I was a little kid. I would often sneak out to visit them and their mom so we could play together. We just had so much fun. Then one day, he just moved away." Pythor said and looked down at the deck. "I can't believe he and his family just left without saying a word.”

 

Flintlocke remained silent, but Jay put a hand on Pythor's shoulder, and Pythor smiled at him.

 

"Alright, well, we're where Nadakhan wants you two. Jay, you're going to be mopping the deck. Pythor, you're going to be cleaning the wings."

 

"W-w-wait… y-you mean… up there?" Pythor asked, and looked over to see the rapidly spinning rotor blades, and then down to see nothing but clouds.

 

"Here, you'll be needing these." Flintlocke said, and held out a spray bottle, sponge, and a bucket of water. "Best to start from the end and work your way back. No sense in dirtying up where you just cleaned.”

 

"What if I fall? Or… i-it doesn't seem like a good idea to be so close to those blades. They're loud, and I already had my arm chopped off, I don't want to lose my head."

 

"Well, keep your head down, and don't fall.”

 

"This is cruel, Flintlocke." Jay said as he dipped the mop in the bucket.

 

"Cap'n's orders. Pythor ain't got no more wishes, so he's expendable. Now, those wings ain't gonna clean themselves, so get to work." Flintlocke said and drew his pistols on Pythor.

 

Pythor sighed and reached down to grab the bucket and carried it out onto the wing with the other supplies. A shrill whistle caught his attention, and he looked up to see Clancee waving a pair of heavy-duty earmuffs. He tossed them to him, and Pythor caught them in one hand, giving him a thumbs up and quickly putting them on.

 

He gripped the bucket tightly in his left hand and got closer to the rotor blades, and although the earmuffs were protecting his hearing to a degree, he could still feel the blades chopping the air. He crossed over past them and set the bucket down on the wing and got to scrubbing, trying as hard as he could to not look down over the edge.

 

About 15 minutes later… BOOM!

 

Pythor screamed as he jumped and felt the rush of air from the chopper blades sweeping centimeters past his neck. He felt himself slip, and scrambled to grab onto the plates as the vengestone ball slipped off the wing and yanked him down. Pythor grabbed onto the edge of the wing and tried to climb up, but there was nothing to grab onto.

 

He looked over and saw Nadakhan grinning next to a woman and a smoking cannon.

 

"Well, Valerie, I would say that was a successful test fire. Say, Pythor, how is cleaning going? You missed a bunch of spots!"

 

Pythor grimaced and started swinging his body side-to-side until he could gain enough momentum to grab onto the deck with his tail enough and pull himself over. He panted heavily and rolled onto his back, managing no longer than 30 seconds before another bang filled the air and he yelped.

 

"No resting on the job, back to work!" Nadakhan yelled as he put his smoking pistol away.

 

Pythor hissed and wet the sponge before he started scrubbing again.

 

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[Two hours later]

 

"Man, I'm hungry." Jay said as he and Pythor polished the metal plates on wooden columns. Pythor heard his stomach growl and looked over at him.

 

"I am too, buddy." Pythor said and felt his own stomach growl.

 

"Oh, did I hear you correctly? Are you hungry? Looks like I came just in the nick of time." Nadakhan said as he held two plates of food, both full with fish, mashed potatoes, and vegetables.

 

Pythor and Jay put their tools down and got up, but Nadakhan held out his hooked hand.

 

"Now hold on, I want to make sure that this food is up to par. My crew deserves only the best." He said, and took several bites out of both of their food. "Mmm mmm mmm… oh yes, Dogshank and Hector sure know how to cook. This will do." Nadakhan set their plates down and grinned. "Bon Appétit~"

 

"I can't eat this after you dug your mouth in it! That's disgusting!" Jay protested.

 

"That's a shame, more for me then~" Nadakhan said and picked his plate up as he started eating the food, while Pythor carefully ate around the parts that he didn't. "If you don't want to worry about hunger, you could always wish for it all to go away."

 

"Fucking asshole…" Pythor muttered, and grunted as his head was immediately slammed into the deck and the food.

 

"Pythor! Don't hurt him!"

 

"Unless you want what he's getting, fangpyre, I'd pipe up if I were you." Nadakhan said, and Pythor craned his head up to see the crystal on his sword glowing a blue/gray color. "Now, you listen here, Pythor, a captain does not stand for insubordination. A ship's crew needs to respect their captain. Apologize."

 

Pythor grunted and tried to push up against the force of the gravity element. "No." He hissed as he looked him in the eyes. He cried out as the gravity intensified and pressed down on his entire body.

 

"Look at that, someone thinks they're strong all of a sudden. Whatever happened to wishing you were strong and joining the ninja?" Nadakhan asked.

 

"Looks like I didn't need you after all." He said, and still managed to work up a grin before the gravity intensified further and started crushing his body.

 

"Stop this!" Jay pleaded, before he was slammed to the deck.

 

"I warned you what would happen if you opened your mouth." Nadakhan said. "I will hear you apologize for your words, Pythor. Either your spirit will break first or your bones will."

 

"Let… him… go." Pythor groaned, and Nadakhan frowned more.

 

"Uhhh… c-c-captain?"

 

"What is it, Clancee?"

 

"Do-dogshank w-was asking for you. Y-y-you also wanted me to c-clean the deck with them?"

 

Nadakhan huffed and released the pressure on Pythor and Jay, causing Pythor to start coughing roughly. "It's your lucky day, but we will see each other before it is over."

 

Nadakhan floated away, and Clancee came over to give Pythor his hand.

 

"It's n-not a smart m-move to talk back to the captain. Nadakhan works h-hard to keep this crew together."

 

"I already bowed down to one cruel king, I'm not serving another."

 

"Even still Pythor, I don't want to see you hurt." Jay said as he took a sponge from Clancee and started cleaning the glass above the bridge. "Nadakhan has most of the elemental powers, and let me tell you, it's not easy standing up to someone like that. Lloyd tried to fight Chen when he had the staff of elements, and he got his ass kicked in less than a minute."

 

"I don't care. I will not kiss his hand. That bastard is the reason why I'm scared of the ocean, loud noises, and don't like the rain. Every year, whenever there's a thunderstorm, I always think back to that moment."

 

"Oh, you've m-met the captain before?" Clancee asked as he mopped.

 

"Yeah, he and his ship attacked ours about 250 years ago. I thought I was going to die."

 

"Wait… you're how old?" Jay asked.

 

"309. I don't age that quickly. It's something that runs in my family." Pythor said. "So, Clancee. I never took you for a pirate. Is that where you've been for all these years?" He asked as he looked up at him, and noticed him grip the mop a little more tightly.

 

"Y-yep. W-w-we're all grateful to Nadakhan. Before we all met him we were castaways. In one way or another, he brought us together and made us whole. Take D-Dogshank for instance. It's not easy being the second prettiest girl at the b-ball. She wished to stand out. Heh. Inevitably she did, but it ain't for being pretty.”

 

“Ummm… Clancee?”

 

“Oh, then there's Doubloon. A two-faced thief caught trying to steal N-Nadakhan's gold. He tried wishing his way out of his sentence, but cap was so impressed with his agility, he went ahead and actually made him two-faced. Can't forget about Monkey Wretch. He wasn't always a monkey, but always a headache. Wished to be the greatest mechanic of his kind. T-t-too bad for him that kind was the mechanized primate variety."

 

Tsk, he's avoiding the question. Pythor thought and kept scrubbing as Jay looked over at a table behind Clancee.

 

"But I never made a wish. No, no, no. Not I, heh. Couldn't think of anything to w-wish for, even if I tried. Got everything I need right here. Never fit in with the rest of the Serpentine, what wi-with my missing leg and all, so I'm happy enough to have a family."

 

"You fit in with me before you moved…" Pythor muttered under his breath, and froze when he saw Clancee glaring at him.

 

"Plus, I-I got two friends now, one new and one old. Speaking of which, I brought some snacks for you two, since I saw what Nadakhan did to your lunches." Clancee said and held out some granola bars. Jay took his food right away, but Pythor hesitated for a second before he took his.

 

"Thanks." He said and started eating them.

 

"So, what tribe are you from, Clancee?" Jay asked.

 

"Oh, I'm a proud venomari." Clancee said with a smile. Pythor just looked at him and looked away. "Oh, s-silly me! I brought you s-snacks and forgot to b-b-bring you water to drink. Don't want you p-passing out and falling off the ship. I'll be right back.”

 

Pythor and Jay looked at each other for a moment before Jay got up and ran over to the table where Flintlocke and Dubloon were earlier.

 

"Jay, what are you doing?"

 

"I'm writing a message to my friends or anyone who finds this- ugh, stupid quill, how did people write with these?" He hissed.

 

"Here, let me. I know how to make it easier." Pythor said and hurried over. "What do you want it to say?"

 

"I got the first part taken care of. Just write: "Me and Pythor are fine. Please don't worry about us, just focus on stopping Nadakhan. We are over the wailing coves. From, Jay'."

 

"Done." Pythor said as he rolled it up and stuck a cork firmly in the bottle.

 

"I told you not to leave them alone!" Nadakhan yelled.

 

"Run!" Jay hissed, and Pythor coiled his tail around the vengestone ball to hurry after him. The two jumped off of the bridge and onto the deck.

 

"You let them escape?! Find them!"

 

Pythor and Jay ran around the side of the ship when suddenly they heard hooting, and Pythor looked up just in time to see Monkey Wretch flying at his head. He grunted as he was kicked in the face and knocked to the ground. Jay ran up and kicked the mechanical monkey behind them and down the length of the ship.

 

Pythor grabbed the bottle and turned it invisible. They had just gotten to the rear of the ship when Dogshank jumped down from above, anchor in hand. "And just where do you think you're going?"

 

Pythor turned around and looked behind them to see Nadakhan and Clancee blocking the other way out.

 

"Pythor, jump off." Jay whispered.

 

"What?!"

 

"Trust me!" Jay said and took his hand, and they jumped off the side of the ship, and landed on top of a raid blimp.

 

"Nice thinking!" Pythor said, and looked back when he heard screaming, and jumped back as Clancee fell onto the blimp. Clancee looked back up at Nadakhan before getting up and drawing a sword.

 

"You're trying to escape? After we spent that time together? I thought we were friends, and you're just running away?"

 

"You're one to talk! What about the bond we had and that you broke when you moved away?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!" Pythor spat back, and noticed Clancee freeze as his eyes widened and his grip on the sword shook.

 

"Look out!" Jay yelled, and everyone cried out as the side of the blimp slammed into a floating island.

 

Pythor grunted as his body rolled across the island and off the edge, and he reached out to grab the first thing he saw, that being a metal cable. He gasped when he saw the bottle with the message in it rolling over the edge and grabbed it with his tail… right before Dubloon jumped on the cable and accidentally knocked everyone off of it.

 

Pain radiated all over his body as he and Jay fell onto the island hard, while Clancee bounced off of it and landed on another metal cable. He screamed as he tried to get a grip, his hands slipping and sliding, and they slid off.

 

"NO!" Pythor dropped the bottle on the ground as he threw himself off the island and caught Clancee's hand with his own, keeping his tail wrapped around the cable. "I got you!"

 

Pythor looked up at Jay and saw him grabbing the bottle, and Pythor nodded at him. Jay ran off with Dubloon chasing after him, and Pythor held on tight until a raid zeppelin had moved underneath them. He wrapped himself around Clancee and fell onto it.

 

He uncoiled himself and let Clancee go. The serpentine promptly crawled over to the helm and sat back in a fetal position, and Pythor laid back, panting heavily.

 

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[ 7:30 pm]

 

"How many times have we cleaned the deck here?" Pythor asked as he dipped a brush in soapy water and applied it to the glass.

 

"Well, we didn't exactly finish last time." Jay chuckled. "God, I'm so sore right now."

 

"So am I. To think I used to have servants for this."

 

"Really?"

 

"Yeah, but I only used them when my parents were around, since it was 'unsightly' for the crown prince to be down on the ground cleaning. If they weren't, I'd clean up myself. Especially when Xiuh was around."

 

"Who's that?"

 

"She was a hypnobrai, and sort of my wife. I loved her so much… fuck I miss her." He said and looked up at the moon and the stars above them, and felt a tear stream down his eyes.

 

"Hate ta break up the chit-chat, but I need to get Jay." Flintlocke said as he came up to them. "You hungry?"

 

"Ugh, does it matter?" Jay hissed.

 

"Not really. The cap'n ordered me to come and get you for dinner with him. And, since your powers seem to be on the fritz, you get to walk there freely." Flintlocke said and unlocked Jay's vengestone cuffs, then pointed his guns at him. "It ain't a request, so get hustlin’."

 

"Alright, let's get it over with." He sighed and walked off with Flintlocke, and Pythor kept scrubbing until Flintlocke came back about four minutes later.

 

"Come on, you need to eat too." Flintlocke said.

 

"I thought I wasn't allowed dinner?"

 

"Technically, you aren't, but we're making an exception."

 

Pythor shrugged and got up, following him onto the afterdeck of the ship, where Dubloon and Monkey Wretch sat eating chicken and more.

 

"Is this food really for me? This isn't a trick… right?"

 

"Naw, not this time at least." Flintlocke said as he sat down and gestured for Pythor to take a seat. "You saved Clancee's life, even though you didn't have to. We're very grateful for that."

 

"What do you mean I 'didn't have to'? I couldn't just let him fall to his death." Pythor said as he sat down and looked behind him, noticing Clancee sitting on the edge of the ship and looking up at the stars. "What's he doing over there?"

 

"He's still shaken up over what happened." Dubloon said.

 

"Isn't he a pirate? I figured near-death experiences are a common occurrence for you all."

 

"Doesn't make it any easier, especially when it's something like falling. You have a long time to think about that."

 

"I guess."

 

"What's your problem with him? I thought you'd be happy t’ see your friend again?" Flintlocke asked.

 

Pythor held his hands together and sunk into the chair. "I thought I would be too, and I was, but… then I thought about how he left me behind when he ran away. It was almost impossible for me to socialize and make bonds with the commoners, and I was put off by how entitled the children of nobility were. Maybe I was jealous, wishing he had taken me with him.”

 

Pythor looked back over at Clancee and sighed. "I'll be right back." He slithered over to Clancee and leaned against a post. "Are you okay?"

 

Clancee stayed silent for a few moments before he answered. "Why did you save me?"

 

"Huh?"

 

"I left you. You haven't seen or heard from m-me in over 200 years, and I could tell that you were angry with me when we were cleaning the glass above the bridge. Why would you g-g-go out of your way to save me?"

 

"Clancee, even though I was upset with you for running away, that's still no reason to let you die."

 

Clancee looked over at Pythor, and his face was tight, like he was on the verge of breaking down. Pythor sighed and made a coil with his tail to sit on.

 

"You and your family were the only friends I ever had as a little kid. I still remember all the games we would play when I would sneak out to see you. I never forgot about you."

 

"Remember Traveler's Tour through Conalia?"

 

"Yeah, I'd often beat you. What about Ichi?"

 

"My mother would often b-beat both of us. I can only remember a handful of t-times that we would beat her in t-that." Clancee chuckled. "I miss those times. I'm sorry I ran away, Pythor."

 

"It's alright, I'm just glad you're still alive, and that we can see each other now." Pythor said and got up, then held his hand out for him. "Come on, let's go eat dinner."

 

Clancee smiled and took his hand as he got up, and to Pythor's surprise, pulled him into a hug. “I missed you, buddy, I really did. I'm just, I'm so glad we found each other again.”

 

“I missed you too, buddy.” He said, and they went over to the table.

 

"This is nice, eating together like this." Clancee said as he put food on his plate.

 

"I'll drink to that." Flintlocke agreed.

 

"I can't. Hey, Dubloon," Pythor said. "Clancee here told me earlier that you tried to steal Nadakhan's treasure and ended up being given two faces. How does that work? Can you see out the back of your head and eat from that mouth?"

 

Dubloon simply shrugged. "I don't know how magic works, and no, I can't."

 

"Where'd you learn how to fight like that? I don't know anyone besides the ninja and my father who know spinjitzu."

 

"I was one of Sensei Kodokuna Yang's students long ago, but I felt like that life wasn't for me and left."

 

"It's pretty impressive. Sounds like you made the right choice though based on what Jay told me Yang did to Cole." Pythor said and turned to Flintlocke. "How'd you join the crew? Clancee never told me."

 

"Oh I was captain of the Scarlett Serpent for a good four-five years, but my ship was destroyed in a storm and started to sink. Nadakhan came to me and offered me the chance to wish myself out of there."

 

"Huh, just like me, at least in regards to my third wish."

 

"First I wished myself to the desert, then to the frozen wasteland, then that I could just have a crew to be a part of."

 

"Well, I can see that you're a valued member of the crew." Pythor said and turned to Clancee. "So, Clancee, how'd you come to join Nadakhan's crew?"

 

"W-Well, I tried to survive on my own, but I didn't know how to. I made my way to Stiix a-a-and tried to make a living… b-but it didn't work out. Almost all of the people I encountered looked down on serpentine, especially one hatched without most of a leg. I just wanted a p-place to belong, and when I heard the Misfortune's Keep was docked, I saw my chance to j-join a group who wouldn't care where I came from."

 

"Well, I'm glad you're alright." Pythor chuckled. "Where have you been for all this time? Flintlocke said that the crew of this ship hasn't been around for a couple hundred years."

 

"Oh, C-C-Captain Soto banished us all to separate realms. I got sent to a world full of animals that l-l-look like people. There are humanoid bears, lions, ravens, and wolves for e-example." Clancee said. "I spent most of my time in a village of crocodiles and b-birds named L'orena. I had a lot of f-friends there."

 

"And uhhhh… what exactly have you done as a pirate?"

 

"I haven't raped, pillaged, and plundered, if that's what y-you're asking.. or at least I haven't raped anyone. I was only a young boy when I joined the c-crew, so I wasn't the first into b-battle when we attacked merchant ships."

 

"That, and you're often leaning over the side of the ship." Dubloon added.

 

"Hey!"

 

"Huh?"

 

"Clancee here gets seasick… and airsick." Flintlocke said, and smirked at a frowning Clancee.

 

"You wanted to be a pirate when you get seasick?" Pythor asked.

 

"It's not l-like I knew that before I joined! Besides, it's not that b-bad… at least when the seas aren't churning or the air isn't turbulent."

 

"Don't worry, I know how you feel. Of course, the only way you'd get me on a boat is if you knocked me out beforehand." Pythor laughed and pushed his plate away. "Ah, damn this food was delicious. I actually feel full."

 

"You got Dogshank to thank for that. She whipped up some food for us before the cap'n pulled her off for dinner with Jay." Flintlocke said. "Actually, now that I think about it, we should probably get you back to cleaning. I doubt the cap'n will be happy if he sees you here eating dinner instead of working."

 

"Alright, well, this was nice. I appreciate it." Pythor said as he got up.

 

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[May 14th, 9:00 am]

 

Seagulls screeched overhead and kept flying over the deck. Pythor shooed them off the edge, and another one pooped on his metal arm.

 

"Ugh… this fucking sucks." He groaned as he wiped it off with a washcloth.

 

"So that's why they call it the poop deck." Jay sighed, and looked over when Monkey Wretch screeched.

 

"That's y-y-your side of the story, Monk. The way I see it, I can use my f-free time any way I like!"

 

"Clancee's right. Just because there's a couple of new men low on the totem pole, don't mean Clancee has to give up swabbing the deck." Flintlocke said.

 

"Thank you, Flintlocke. It relaxes m-me. I told you I was in the right."

 

Clancee and Monkey Wretch went away, and Flintlocke started walking over to them.

 

"The crew listens to you. They seem like they really respect what you have to say."

 

"Yeah, you're a good man." Pythor agreed.

 

"Nadakhan is the one you should be thanking. My job is to just make sure his ship runs smoothly.

 

"But how do you make sure everything runs smoothly when your captain doesn't tell you everything you need to know?" Jay asked, and Flintlocke looked up at that.

 

"Oh, yeah? Like what?"

 

"It's nice of you all to help him make this world or dimension, but what do you think will happen once it's complete?"

 

"Djinjago is for all of us. There's nothin to worry ‘bout."

 

"For now, maybe. But how long do you think he'll keep you around when he gets infinite wishes?"

 

"Nadakhan ain't get no wishes, certainly not infinite. Everybody knows that."

 

"That's not what he told me. After a Djinn prince marries on Djinn land, he gets all the wishes he could want. And I've seen how he looks at Nya, reminding him of his Delara. Oh, but what do I know? Heh, I'm just the low man on the totem pole. You've helped him build so much. I'm sure he'll need you around when he can wish for anything."

 

"Flintlocke, I think Jay is right." Pythor said. "I've lived for a long time now, and I've met people like Nadakhan. They only keep people around until they have no further use for them."

 

Flintlocke just looked at him and stayed silent.

 

"Think about it. You've been helping him take elemental powers and build this world, but as soon as he marries someone on it, you're expendable to him. As soon as he has infinite wishes, he can just wish for himself anything that you or the other crew members could do for him. Plus, he won't have to split up resources or treasure among anyone anymore."

 

"I don't believe you. We've known the cap'n too, and he's a good man. He ain't like the others you've met."

 

"Just think about it, okay? The crew listens to and respects you. You were a captain, you know how to manage people and lead them. If we're going to take a stand against Nadakhan, we need to do it before he gets married and gets those infinite wishes." Jay said.

 

A puff of orange smoke appeared next to them, and Nadakhan emerged from it.

 

"What lies are our little canaries whistling now, hmm? Perhaps another ploy to escape?"

 

"They said you'll be able to wish for yourself if you get married here, and that you won't need us anymore."

 

"It's true. We discussed it over dinner last night." Jay said.

 

"Yeah, and I can't shoot water in an ocean."

 

Nadakhan just laughed and even tilted his head back as he did it. "Infinite wishes! Hah! Don't you know that one can't wish for more wishes?! I told you that! I'd say infinite wishes certainly qualifies for that." His laughter settled down and he wiped his eyes. "Oh, we're being too hard on our guests. Perhaps it's time we involve them in some of our on-ship entertainment?"

 

"You don't mean Scrap-N-Tap, do you?"

 

"Uh, what's Scrap-N-Tap?" Jay asked.

 

"You're bout to find out." Flintlocke said and drew his pistols. "Let's move."

 

Pythor and Jay set their stuff down and were promptly guided down to the center of the ship. Not long after they had, a crowd had begun to form, all of them jeering or drinking pirates.

 

"The rules are simple. You scrap whoever wants to fight, but only the winner may tap out. Now, let the scrap'n'tap begin!" Nadakhan announced.

 

"Why don't you take this thing off and make this a fair fight?" Jay asked.

 

"Fair? Haha. We are pirates! Who's first?"

 

Monkey Wretch jumped into the makeshift arena and Jay chuckled at him. Almost immediately after, the mechanical monkey jumped forwards and slammed both feet into his chest, making him groan and stumble back into the crowd. The pirates laughed and shoved him back in, and Pythor hissed at their treatment of him.

 

Jay tried to kick Monkey Wretch, but his vengestone ball messed up his momentum, and it made it all too easy for Monkey Wretch to spin him around and knock him snout first into a crate.

 

Pythor could only watch as the lightning ninja got beaten down in each battle. First against Monkey Wretch, where he got a scratch on his face, then against Dubloon, losing a couple of fangs to his bamboo staff, and then against Dogshank, getting the wind knocked out of him and a nasty punch to the face.

 

"This may go on all day, unless you want to wish it all away. Just say the words and it'll all be over." Nadakhan said as he floated down to Jay's level, the fangpyre only being able to weakly pant as he looked up at him.

 

Pythor jumped through the crowd and slithered between him and the djinn. "He's had enough."

 

"I made myself clear earlier, only the winner may tap out. He will continue to fight, or wish it all away."

 

Pythor refused to break eye-contact with the djinn. "Get up, Jay. It's my turn."

 

"What?" Jay coughed.

 

"You and I are fighting." He said, and turned around to look him in the eyes, one of them already turning black.

 

Jay gazed into his for a moment, and slowly got up. Pythor readied himself, and ducked under one of Jay's punches and threw one back. He grabbed it and pulled down while sending his other fist into Pythor's face, sending the anacondrai collapsing down onto the deck.

 

"Aw look at that. He lost." Jay weakly chuckled. "I'm out of here."

 

Nadakhan poofed in front of him and blocked him. "He threw the fight! You're staying."

 

"Hold on, Nadakhan. Weren't you just saying there was no such thing as fair, with you being pirates and all?" Pythor said as he got up. "I lost, so I have to stay. Why don't you get in here and show us what you got?"

 

Nadakhan frowned as Jay walked around him, but then his frown morphed into a grin as he floated over. "So be it."

 

Nadakhan vanished in an orange puff of smoke, and Pythor grunted as a pain shot up in the back of his head. He whipped around to see Nadakhan grinning as he held up his hook. "Off to a poor start are we?"

 

Pythor grunted and lunged at him, only to end up flying through a cloud of orange smoke and get sent sprawling to the ground from a punch to the back.

 

"So sloppy."

 

Pythor smirked from his position on the ground. "Got you."

 

He hissed and wrapped his tail around the vengestone ball and lunged back again, and went flying through another cloud. As soon as he was through it, he whipped around and sent his fist flying into Nadakhan's face. Nadakhan grunted as he floated back and again as Pythor's left fist hit his cheek.

 

"Hey, am I doing better now?" Pythor asked, but gasped when Nadakhan darted forward and grabbed his wrist, yanking him forwards and slamming his two other arms into his throat, making him cough and sputter.

 

He looked up and ducked under a punch, and grabbed Nadakhan by the beard, yanking his head down and sending his metal fist into his chin. Nadakhan puffed away, and Pythor immediately ducked, giving the djinn another uppercut to the face. Pythor grabbed onto the chain of the vengestone ball and went into spinjitzu, jumping up and slamming the ball into Nadakhan's chest.

 

The djinn groaned and whipped around, and Pythor felt a searing pain shoot up the right side of his face. He dropped to the ground and held a hand to his face, copious amounts of blood dripping down to the floor. The hook hadn't connected with his eye, but it seemed like that was about to change as he was yanked back and his arms held behind his back.

 

"Well, you certainly are a scrapper." Nadakhan said, and made Pythor groan as he held his arms even tighter, and looked over at Jay, who was watching with shaking eyes. "What do you think, Bluejay? Are you ready to wish it all away? Just say the words, and you can save his life."

 

Pythor shook his head, but Nadakhan held a hand to his chin and held it still as he pressed his hook to Pythor's throat.

 

"Make the wish, ninja." The djinn said quietly, pressing the point into Pythor's scales and making him wince as he could feel more blood flowing down his scales. He started digging the hook in deeper across his throat. "Make. The. Wish."

 

Jay opened his mouth. "I… I…"

 

Everyone suddenly grunted as the ship jolted and dropped for a millisecond.

 

"What in Djinjago was that?" Nadakhan asked as he let Pythor drop to the floor.

 

"Sounded like the reserve fuel tanks being activated." Flintlocke said.

 

"Monkey Wretch, get on that before I throw you off this ship for ignoring your duties!" Nadakhan ordered. "Dogshank, take these two to the brig. I'll deal with them later."

 

"Aye-Aye, captain." She agreed and hauled Pythor and Jay off.

 

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[Later that night]

 

"Are you feeling alright, Pythor?" Jay asked.

 

"Ugh, my face feels like it's on fire, but at least I didn't lose my eye. I'm definitely going to have a scar though. I hope it doesn't get infected." Pythor said as he held a hand to his face and flinched from the pain. "Are you sure you're okay? You got beat up even worse than I did."

 

Jay didn't answer right away. "You know you didn't have to do that, right?"

 

"Jay, stop. I couldn't let you keep getting beaten. I… I couldn't watch that."

 

"Why do you care about me so much? We used to be enemies."

 

"Because you're my friend, and you're still young. You don't deserve to be beaten so horribly, you just don't."

 

"Hey, are you two doing a-alright?" They heard, and turned their heads up to see Clancee looking down into their cells, his orange eyes glowing in the dark.

 

Pythor sighed and leaned back as he crossed his arms. "No, not really. My face hurts like crazy, and I haven't been able to take my anti-seizure or antidepressants in three days."

 

"Oh, w-w-well, I brought you dinner." Clancee said as he held up a couple trays of food and lowered them in on a dumbwaiter.

 

"I'm not really hungry." Jay said and crossed his arms.

 

"Me neither." Pythor agreed.

 

"Aw c-come on, you have to eat. I-I don't want to see y-you two starve." Clancee pleaded, and after a moment of hesitation, Pythor reached down and picked up the tray and started eating.

 

"You're awfully nice, Clancee. Maybe even moreso than the other pirates on board. Thanks." Jay said.

 

"Well, my m-m-mum and dad raised me right, I-I suppose. Pythor here can attest to t-that."

 

Pythor looked down in thought for a moment. "Clancee, if you don't mind me asking… why did you move away? I thought you were happy in the city?"

 

He frowned at that. “Who the fuck told you we moved away?”

Pythor jerked his head at the change in tone from Clancee. “My dad, Arcturus.”

“Well he was fucking lying. We didn’t move out, Ivy and I ran for our lives because King Aihtiram ordered the deaths of his bastard child and any who knew of me. Our house was attacked in the middle of the night and our entire family, even our dog was killed.”

 

"A-A-Aihtiram?"

 

"Do you know him?"

 

"Clancee… Aihtiram was my father."

Chapter 19: We Stand Together

Summary:

Shocked by the revelation that he and Clancee are half-brothers, Pythor finds himself more determined than ever to protect him. But with Nadakhan determined to marry Nya, Clancee has to make a choice that will change his life forever and send him on the run with the ninja.

Really proud of this chapter. Comments are deeply appreciated.

Clancee stared at Pythor in silence for almost a minute before he finally spoke. "Aihtiram was your father?"

 

"Yes, he was."

 

"Wait, does that mean you two are brothers?" Jay asked.

 

"I-I guess so, but… I never knew I had one. Do you-" Pythor started before Clancee shushed him.

 

"Shit! Flintlocke is coming. Listen, he and the rest of the crew are suggesting a mutiny, but it's just a trick meant to break your spirit. I don't know the details, but whatever happens, act how they'd expect you to." Clancee said, and locked the cells, then vanished right in front of their eyes.

 

"Definitely part anacondrai." Jay whispered.

 

" Psst. You always talk to yourself?" Flintlocke asked from overhead.

 

"Pythor is right here, Flintlocke.” Jay sighed. "What are you doing here?"

 

"We've been thinking, Maybe you're right. Maybe he doesn't need us after all of this. But the only way we're gonna stage a mutiny is if we work together and get his sword away from him. You think you can handle that?" He asked as he unlocked the cells.

 

"What are we supposed to do? We're the ones locked up down here." Pythor asked.

 

"I'll unlock you. You need to wait until he's asleep and make your move. He doesn't sleep with it on him, it's in the cabinet in his room. We'll be right behind you." Flintlocke dropped a couple of keys into their cells.

 

Pythor heard the door shut and took the keys, unlocking his vengestone cuff and climbing out of the cell.

 

"What do you think? Should we book it? You can transform now." Jay asked as he climbed out.

 

"I'm not leaving my brother behind." Pythor hissed. "I haven't seen him for almost 200 years, I'm staying.”

 

"Alright, if you are, I am." Jay said. "Let's go."

 

“First things first though. I have my magic back, so come here and I'll heal you up.” He said, and spoke the magic words over Jay, watching as the glowing energy washed over his body. As soon as he was done, he turned the energy on himself, focusing most of it on his face.

 

“Woah, are you okay?” Jay asked as soon as Pythor started grunting and trembling.

 

Pythor soon stopped and panted. “I'm alright, larger wounds take a lot out of me. Nadakhan must have cut deeper than I thought. I'm just glad I didn't lose my eye.”

 

“Yeah, doubt you'd be able to regenerate something as delicate as that.”

 

Pythor nodded and turned invisible, and they made their way outside and up towards the captain's cabin. Once there, he uncloaked himself and grabbed some sheet metal to transmute it into narrow rods, then picked the lock into the cabin.

 

Jay immediately made his way over to the cabinet, while Pythor formed a blade on his arm and slithered over to Nadakhan's bed. Right as Jay opened the cabinet, Pythor noticed the appearance of Nadakhan's skin and flipped him over. It was a dummy.

 

Pythor heard Jay yell and turned around, only to get slammed into the edge of the bed frame, frozen to the floor.

 

"I told you we'd be right behind you." Flintlocke said as the lights turned on and a curtain opened, and all the pirates laughed.

 

"Well, I was wrong, they did fall for it." Nadakhan chuckled.

 

"Yeah, even I'm not that pinheaded." Clancee said, but winked at them.

 

"You have got to see the looks on your faces." Flintlocke added and held up a mirror.

 

"If we're all up, I guess we have time for another round of Scrap-N-Tap." Nadakhan said. "That is, unless you want to wish it all away. Huh? Go ahead, red one, make your wish."

 

"You want to go again? Bring it on." Jay hissed.

 

“I can do this all night.” Pythor said, cracking his knuckles. “Can you?”

 

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[5/15/16 - 10:30 am]

 

"Pythor! Pythor! Oh please…" Pythor heard and panted as he put a hand to his head.

 

A couple of minutes later, Pythor finally sat up. "It happened again… didn't it?"

 

"Y-yes." Clancee said, and helped Pythor by holding a hand to his back.

 

"How long?"

 

"Ummm… I-I don't know. A few minutes maybe?"

 

"It was close then. Ugh, I wish I could take my medicine to stop this."

 

Clancee gasped and stood up. "Hold on, what is it?"

 

"Huh?"

 

"The herbs or t-t-treatment or… whatever. What do you take?" Clancee asked as he ran over to a table to grab a quill, ink, and paper.

 

Pythor tilted his head as he tried to understand what his brother was going for, but wrote down the medicine and amount, and Clancee ran off. 15 minutes later, he came hobbling back with a couple containers of pills and some water.

 

"Here, I remembered some of the crew talking about a m-medicinal place that was brought up recently, and figured it w-was worth a shot."

 

Pythor smiled as his chest warmed at Clancee's help, and he took the pill bottle, making sure that it was the correct name and dosage, and took the pills once he saw it was.

 

"Thank you, Clancee, really." Pythor said and handed the pill bottle back to him, and hugged him after Clancee put it in a pocket.

 

"I don't want to see you get hurt any more."

 

Pythor thought for a few moments and looked over at Clancee after letting him go. "Hey, can I tell you something?"

 

"Hm? Of course."

 

"Nadakhan hasn't been completely honest with you about your role in Djinjago."

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Djinjago isn't for you all. He's only building the realm so that he will have a place to get married, a place that will allow him to have unlimited wishes for himself. Once he does, I don't think he'll need you anymore."

 

Clancee's eyes widened and he shook his head. "N-no… that's not true. He cares about us!"

 

Pythor's eyes hardened as he looked at him. "Clancee, he threw you off of the ship to chase after us. You could have died, and you almost did when you fell off that one small island."

 

Clancee's gaze fell and he looked down to the side as he let his arms drop.

 

"I noticed the look you gave him when that happened. Has he done things like this before?"

 

"W-Well, not too much. I mean… just making me clean the mast, or the wings with this new ship, carry cannonballs, normal stuff." He said.

 

"The wings? Please tell me he tethers you to the ship."

 

"No, but I'm good with balancing on this peg leg of mine. I can put something on it to keep it from sliding." Clancee shook his head.

 

"Have you gotten hurt carrying cannonballs?"

 

"Not too badly. I mean, I did drop one on my foot one time, b-but it got better after a while!"

 

Pythor's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak, but Clancee cut him off.

 

"No, I know it's s-stupid… b-but… I can't go against the c-captain! He brought me into his f-family after I lost mine! I never got to see my mom or my dad or my sister again, and they're probably d-dead now. I have a home, people who care about me, I don't want to lose that."

 

Pythor put a hand on his shoulder, and Clancee turned to look at him with his teary eyes. "I don't want to lose you."

 

"Is… Is Nadakhan really just using us? Is that why he had us trick you last night?"

 

"I believe so, yes. Jay told me what Nadakhan said, and I trust him."

 

"Thanks for telling me." Clancee said and looked ahead. "What's that?"

 

Pythor looked where he was, and saw a raid zeppelin approaching the ship. "I don't know. It looks like more recruits for you."

 

Clancee squinted. "Is that the ghost Nadakhan fought on Tiger Widow Island?"

 

"Can't tell from here, but in case it's Cole, let's lay low, okay?"

 

Clancee hesitated for a moment, then nodded as he looked at him. They continued cleaning for a little while when suddenly the PA system came on.

 

"All hands, keep an eye out for anything suspicious. The prisoner has escaped." Flintlocke's voice announced over the intercom.

 

"Jay got out? How?" Clancee asked.

 

"I don't know. Where do you think he is?" Pythor asked as he and Clancee went around a corner and immediately got ran into.

 

"Pythor?!"

 

He looked up as he rubbed his head and smiled when he saw who it was. "Lloyd!"

 

"Shhhh! Not so loud!" He said and looked around. "Are you okay? Have you seen Jay or Cole anywhere?"

 

"No, I haven't. But it's good to see you and Nya again." He said and got up, then helped Clancee up.

 

"Who's this?" Nya asked.

 

"I-I'm Clancee Saowr. Pleasure to meet you!" He said and shook their hands.

 

"He's my brother." Pythor added, and noticed their looks. "I'll explain later."

 

"We need to find Jay and Cole." Lloyd said. "They're taking care of Nadakhan and then we're getting out of here."

 

"T-taking care of him?" Clancee gulped.

 

"Yeah, uhhh… can we?"

 

"We can trust him." Pythor said, and turned to him. "I won't lie to you, there's a good chance there's no coming back from this. Are you in?"

 

Pythor held his hand out, and Clancee stared at it for a few moments, and looked around at Djinjago. Clancee sighed and took Pythor's hand.

 

"After what happened y-yesterday and last night, I w-w-wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let you get hurt more. I'm in."

 

They took off and saw Jay and Cole running between buildings while being pursued by sky pirates, and two raid zeppelins were converging on them.

 

"Shit, this i-isn't good." Clancee hissed and looked around.

 

"What now? Do we fight them?" Nya asked.

 

"We won't be able to take them all on, not without risking Jay's safety." Lloyd said. "We're really cooked."

 

"W-wait! I have an i-idea." Clancee said, and everyone turned to look at him. "I can take you three captive. S-sure it might not sound good, but at least you'll be t-together. Plus, I can bust you out when the time is right."

 

"You want us to be taken prisoner?! We came here to get Jay and Pythor and neutralize Nadakhan, not join them!" Nya said.

 

"Nya, they have Jay and Cole. If we try to fight them now, they'll probably just hold a gun to Jay's head and a cup of water over Cole." Pythor said. "I think we should trust Clancee on this. He's a part of their crew, so he has their trust. There will be another time."

 

Nya opened her mouth to retort, but closed it and exhaled through her nose.

 

"Let's do it." Lloyd said.

 

"Wait, here, take this." Nya said and gave Clancee a jar of green liquid.

 

"W-what's this?" He asked.

 

"The last vial of the tiger widow venom. Keep it safe."

 

"I will." He promised and put it in a pocket. "A-Alright, cover your ears, Pythor." Clancee said and pulled out a pistol, and Pythor immediately did just that and closed his eyes as well. Even still, he found himself flinching when Clancee fired the gun in the air.

 

He then pointed it at the group and pulled out a sword as well. "Alright, landlubbers, on your knees with your hands behind your head!"

 

"I don't have knees." Pythor said, and Clancee blinked.

 

"Dude, j-just lie down or something." Clancee whispered, and Pythor did just that with his hands on his head as a zeppelin came over, and Dogshank and another pirate jumped off of it.

 

"You caught them, Clancee?" She asked.

 

"Sure did!" He cheered. "I c-caught these ninjas sneaking around, t-trying to steal a ship with Pythor here."

 

"Great work, take them to the brig. Hop to it!"

 

"Aye-aye!" He and the other three pirates agreed, and led them off.

 

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About an hour later, Cole was yanking on each of the bars of his cell, trying to dislodge any that he could.

 

"It's vengestone, Cole, we can't bust through it, remember? You can't ghost, and I can't transform." Pythor sighed as he sat on the bench.

 

"Pythor, if you're not going to help bust us out, kindly keep your mouth shut, would you?"

 

Pythor groaned and banged his head back against the bars as he crossed his arms.

 

"Do you remember what they did with the vial they took from you, or who took it?" Lloyd asked.

 

"No, and no." Cole said. "They probably threw it overboard. I wouldn't keep it around if I were them. That was our last shot at stopping Nadakhan though."

 

"No, it wasn't. Nya gave the last jar to Clancee. He'll come through." Jay said.

 

"That spineless venomari? He can't even talk normally. How do you even know he won't rat us out to save his own scales?" Kai asked.

 

"That 'spineless venomari' is my brother, Kai, so zip it. I've gotten to know him during my time here and my childhood. He's a good person, I have faith in him. And don't talk shit about the way he speaks."

 

"I really don't like her being alone with the silver-tongued seducer. If he lays one hand on her, I—" Jay started.

 

"Don't worry, we won't let that happen. We'll get her out safe and sound." Lloyd swore.

 

"We'd better, because if he takes her hand in marriage, he'll reach his true potential so to speak, and we'll all be hooped when he has infinite wishes for himself."

 

"Infinite wishes? He'll be unstoppable!" Cole said and groaned. "Ugh, just when this was bad enough already."

 

"If he has infinite wishes, his crew will be expendable because he'll be able to do anything they could. Maybe we could convince them to-" Lloyd said, but Jay swept his hand to the side.

 

"I already tried. They wouldn't believe me." Jay sighed. "Thanks for trying to save me, but maybe it would've been better if you never came."

 

"Hold on, not all of the crew is against us. I was talking to Clancee earlier, and I told him about Nadakhan's plan. He believed me when he realized that Nadakhan truly hasn't given a damn about his safety and well-being." Pythor noted.

 

"That's good. We may not have our Elemental Powers, but we're not without hope. Between the three of us and Nya, we have ten wishes that—" Lloyd started again.

 

"Wishes? You wanna think that through? Making wishes is why we're up here." Jay scoffed.

 

"Yeah. Plus, when he turns them around on you, you'll beg for him to wish it away. And that only makes him more powerful." Cole agreed. "Zane is the smartest of us all, and even he got taken."

 

"I have to agree with Cole and Jay, Lloyd. What I wished for… when I got it, it was… horrible…" Kai said and shuddered.

 

"No wishes, Lloyd. Things may be bad, but they can still get worse." Jay said.

 

"Okay, okay, no wishes. Only as a last resort. I just hope Nya's faring better than we are." Lloyd sighed.

 

"I'm sure she is, Nya's a smart and strong girl. She won't give Nadakhan what he wants." Pythor said, and Jay smiled at that, although his smile quickly fell when he saw several pirates coming down the steps.

 

"Alright, everybody out." One said as they and the others drew their guns while the cells were unlocked, and they were forced up onto the main deck.

 

"You wouldn't dare!" Nya shouted as they were brought to the bow.

 

"Oh I most certainly would." Nadakhan said as he floated over to her. "I make the orders around here. The sooner you learn that, the smoother it will go."

 

"You hurt them and you can forget about any deal!"

 

"Then agree to marry me right now and it'll all be over."

 

"Nya, don't do it. He isn't worth all of this!" Pythor pleaded.

 

"The prince goes first." Nadakhan said, and the pirates pushed Pythor over to the edge of the plank. Pythor gulped when he saw nothing but clouds and water underneath them.

 

"Ummm… everybody? I-I-I can't swim." Pythor said.

 

"Oh don't worry, at this height, you'll die when you hit the water."

 

"I don't get it, we should be pushing her over too. You said all that matters is Djinjago, not them." Flintlocke said.

 

"No! We don't n-need to push anyone over, we can k-keep them!" Clancee said.

 

"Quiet you fools! Unless you want to join them!" Nadakhan shouted. "Last chance, Nya. Marry me now, or your friends die."

 

Nya frowned, and Nadakhan sighed. "I guess you need some encouragement."

 

Pythor didn't even have time to blink as he was suddenly thrown off the ship, and he screamed as he started plummeting towards the earth.

 

"PYTHOR!" Lloyd yelled.

 

"No! No no no! This isn't happening!" Pythor thought as he tumbled through the air, the weight of his vengestone ball yanking him down even faster.

 

He immediately reached for the vengestone cuff still locked around his waist and tried to yank it off, only managing to succeed in shifting his scales.

 

Wait… he looked down at his arm and rubbed it, noticing that the scales on the surface were moving. Immediately, he reached up to his head and dug his nails into his scales, breaking them and ripping them apart.

 

"Come on! Come on!" He grunted as he freed his head and neck, and pulled it down his body. He yanked his arm out of his scales and pushed out of the ones around his waist. He saw the ocean getting closer and ripped his tail free of his scales. The vengestone plummeted to the sea with his shed scales, and he righted himself as his body glowed with a bright light.

 

Pythor spread his wings and felt air catch in it like a sail, lifting his body meters above the ocean waters. He felt mist coating his underbelly and quickly flapped his wings to get away from the water. He looked back at his body and saw that he was back to his normal purple coat.

 

"That's it…" He growled, and took off for Djinjago.

 

As soon as it was in sight, he built up fire in his maw and enveloped a raid zeppelin in blue flames. He soared above it and took off, setting another two ablaze and smashed a fourth with sharpened claws on his metal leg.

 

He saw a cannon pointed right at him and gasped as he tilted to the side just in time, feeling it fire right past him. He opened his mouth and burned the pirate who fired the cannon.

 

A sharp, stabbing pain embedded itself in his side, and he looked back to see a large needle sticking out of his body. His eyes widened as he tried shaking it out of his body, but it was too late, as he could already feel his muscles weakening.

 

He fought to keep his eyes opened and himself in the air, but he grunted as flapping his wings became too much of an effort. Pythor collapsed into an island, crashing through a shack and groaning as he tried to stand up, only to end up collapsing again.

 

Pythor's vision faded into a blur, and his eyes fluttered shut.

 

…

 

…

 

"... dare defy… captain?! You wish… him?!"

 

He groaned as he opened his eyes and looked at a green and brown figure in front of him, and slowly, their voices became more audible.

 

"I gave you a home when you had nowhere else to go! I gave you a family when no one would look twice at you! Why? Why throw away everything that I have provided for you?!"

 

"Because he's my brother! I already ran away from him once before, I won't do it again while you kill him! I quit!"

 

"Then die with him!"

 

Pythor opened his mouth and breathed a jet of fire at Nadakhan, who vanished in a cloud of smoke.

 

"Climb on." Pythor said and shook his head to wake himself up more. "Hurry! We have… to get moving!"

 

Clancee climbed up Pythor's leg and held onto his back as Pythor jumped off of the island and spread his wings as he flew underneath Djinjago.

 

"Over there! I s-s-see a dragon!" Clancee said and pointed towards a bright, glowing one. Pythor took off towards it and quickly caught up to an elemental dragon that Jay and Nya were riding.

 

"Pythor! You're okay! We were worried when we saw you get shot with that tranquilizer!" Nya yelled. "How did you wake up?"

 

"I w-wished for him to!" Clancee yelled over.

 

"Look out!" Nya yelled, and everyone looked around when they heard a propeller spinning.

 

"Where is it?" Jay asked as he looked up, and right as he did, a plane flew from the sun and bullets shot straight through the hydroelectric dragon with its propellers.

 

"No! Clancee, hold on!" Pythor yelled and dived down to catch them.

 

The plane turned around, diving down to catch them as well. Pythor flinched as the sounds of gunfire raced behind him, passing over his tail. He growled and tucked in his wings, soaring down faster than the plane and catching Jay and Nya on his back. He unfolded his wings and flew over the plane, slashing through a wing in the process.

 

He felt something wet splashing on his scales, and heard Clancee give a weak "sorry".

 

"Hey, it's okay! Hopefully we'll be on solid ground soon." Pythor said, smiling back at him, and noticed Flintlocke floating down in a parachute. He looked ahead to see a coast guard helicopter ahead. "Hey! Look!"

 

"Look out! It's the coast guard! Commissioner Bankers!" Jay yelled, pointing ahead to a helicopter.

 

"Let's follow them." Nya suggested.

 

"Are you sure? We're still fugitives!" Jay asked.

 

"I think they're here to help. Let's give them a chance." Nya said, and Jay nodded as they followed the helicopter.

 

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"Thank you for taking us in Commissioner Bankers." Jay said as he sat huddled up in a blanket, as did Nya and Clancee.

 

"Of course, it's the least me and the fellow officers could do." He said and walked over to Clancee. "So, you're part of their crew, huh?"

 

Clancee's eyes widened and he shook his head. "N-N-No sir, not anymore. I… I deserted them."

 

"Can we trust him?" The commissioner asked as he looked at the others.

 

"We wouldn't have gotten out of there if it wasn't for Clancee here." Pythor said, drawing a smile from the serpentine. "We can trust him."

 

"Alright, well, we need to figure out a plan. First off, why is Nadakhan after you all?"

 

"Apparently he wants to marry me in that realm up above us so that he can get infinite wishes for himself." Nya said.

 

"Infinite wishes? He'll be able to change the nature of the world with that kind of power!"

 

"Which is exactly why we can't let him get it. We need to figure something out."

 

"If you're going to figure something out, you better do it fast." An officer said as he came into the conference room. "Station 3 was just attacked with heavy cannon fire and bombs, they lost a lot of weapons in the raid."

 

"Thanks, Tommy." The commissioner said, and the officer left. "It doesn't seem like we have a lot of time left. We've called any available officers here for reinforcements, but it's only a matter of time before they show up. I suggest you find a place to hole up."

 

"'Hole up'? You want us to hide? How do we know wherever we chose won't be the next chunk of land that goes sky high?" Jay asked.

 

"You don't, but we don't have many options here. Take a look at this map here, and figure out where you're going. I need to finish getting the department ready for lockdown and barricade the doors.

 

The commissioner set a map on the table and left, and Pythor sighed. "What do you think we should do, Clancee?"

 

"I don't know… I was p-part of the crew just a d-day ago, and now I'm r-running from them." He sighed and put his chin in his hands. "Don't ask me what we s-should do."

 

Pythor's face fell as he scratched his scales, and looked at the map.

 

"If I may, I have an idea on something we should do." Nya said, and everyone looked up at her. "I'm not content with hiding out while people are having their homes ripped out of the ground. Nadakhan will find us eventually no matter where we go because he needs me. So I suggest we go somewhere where we can make a stand and end this threat once and for all."

 

"Where?" Jay asked, and Pythor smiled at hearing how dreamy his voice was.

 

"Here. Chen's Island." Nya said and pointed to it.

 

"You want to go there?" Pythor asked.

 

"Yes. It's a little remote, but I'm sure it still has plenty of resources there that we can use, and I'm also sure that it has plenty of traps that we can turn against the pirates."

 

"Sounds good to-" Jay started before the ground lurched and he almost fell over.

 

"W-what's going on?!" Clancee stammered as he got up and fell to his knee when he lost his balance.

 

"Barricade the front doors and windows!" The commissioner yelled as he ran down the hallway and into the conference room. "The pirates are here, they're bombing the city block.”

 

“Bombing it?! Don't we have an air force?!” Jay asked.

 

“They must have been caught off-guard by the spread-out attacks. Look, we won't be able to defend you much longer. Did you find a safe house?"

 

"Yeah, it's-" Nya started, but the commissioner interrupted her.

 

"No, no, no. Don't tell me. No one can know but you. Listen everybody, if Nadakhan finds and marries Nya, he'll have infinite wishes. Protect her."

 

"We will, with our lives." Jay agreed.

 

"I appreciate the macho sentiment, but may I remind you that I can look after my-"

 

"TAKE COVER!" Someone screamed, and a chain of booms filled the air. There was screaming everywhere, glass shattering and heavy objects hitting the walls in the building.

 

"We need to go. Now!" Jay pleaded as he started to run, only to stop when he saw Pythor dashed to the corner of the room and curled himself up. “Pythor! Come on!”

 

Pythor only winced and shook as the booms continued and tears formed in his eyes. He grabbed onto his tail and held it tight to his chest. Although he knew Jay was yelling at him, in his mind, all he could hear were the air raid sirens from so long ago…

 

"We're in this together, remember, Pythor?" That voice… he looked up and saw Clancee smiling at him. "I won't let them hurt you."

 

The building shook again, but Pythor kept looking at Clancee.

 

"But, t-they're your crew, y-your friends."

 

"And you're my family. Family sticks together." Clancee said, and held his hand out to Pythor.

 

After a moment of hesitation, Pythor took his hand and Clancee pulled him up.

 

"You need to get going now before the pirates hit us with another payload!" The commissioner said and ushered them into the hallway. "Go down to the basement, there's a door there that will lead to the sewers. Make your way west to the heliport, the helicopter we took should still be there."

 

"Commissioner! They're coming in!" An officer yelled as gunshots rang out.

 

"Fall back into the hallway, barricade it with anything you can, and return fire!" He yelled. "Go, ninja. Go!"

 

Pythor and the others ran down the hallway as more officers started shooting back at the pirates. They found their way to the basement and then the sewers.

 

"I-I-It's been a long time since I've been down here." Pythor panted and looked around. "I think I know the way west."

 

"I got a map, just in case." Nya said and pulled up a hologram on her watch. "Alright, follow me."

 

"Hey, C-Clancee?" Pythor asked, and the hybrid looked at him. "Thanks, for h-helping me back there."

 

"It's no problem." He said as they made their way to the heliport.

 

"I really m-mean it, I don't think I would have gotten out of there if it w-wasn't for you."

 

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"Hanging in there, Pythor?" Jay asked over the rattlecopter's radio.

 

"Y-Y-Yes… o-o-of course!" He stammered as he shook in the corner of the chopper, constantly looking down and away from the windows. "Ju-just tell me when we aren't n-near the ocean."

 

"Don't worry, I can see the island up ahead, it won't be much longer."

 

"If the ocean scares you this much, Pythor, how did you go down to the ocean floor to retrieve the nindroid mech dragon?" Nya asked from up front.

 

"By never looking out the window. Cryptor called me a big baby. The bucket of bolts…" Pythor hissed.

 

Jay set the rattlecopter down inside the forest on a concrete pad partially covered by ivy. Pythor opened up the helicopter door and slithered over to a tree, putting a hand on it and taking deep breaths as he held the other hand on his stomach.

 

"Are you okay?" Jay asked as he walked over.

 

"I feel like I'm gonna…" He groaned, and vomited, hurling up everything he ate at the police station for lunch. "Fuck… this is… so…" He tried to say and threw up again. "Embarrassing."

 

He heard Jay whispering to Nya about his flying, and looked back. "Your flying was fine, Jay… ugh… it's that stress that bothers me. How did I ever do anything when trying to free the devourer or help Sköll without collapsing into a nervous wreck in my own vomit?"

 

"The devourer?! And do you mean the-?" Clancee asked, but Nya shook her hand, and he shut his mouth.

 

"Ummm… how come you're scared of the ocean?" She wondered.

 

"Remember how I said I wished myself out of a sinking ship?"

 

"Mhm."

 

"That happened when I was about 7 or 8 compared to you. Nadakhan and his crew attacked us in a powerful storm and badly damaged our ship. I thought I was going to drown."

 

"Are you feeling better now, buddy?" Jay asked as he came over and put a hand on his back.

 

"Not really… but… thanks, I appreciate it." He said and tried to smile after he used a leaf to wipe his mouth. "I think I'll be good for now. So… Nya, what's the plan? You want to fight, how should we prepare?"

 

"It will take too much time to fortify the entire island, so I think we should work from the inside-out. Start with the palace, then work our way southeast towards the coast. Nadakhan probably doesn't know a thing about this island, so that gives us the advantage.

 

"Plus we should find out what these traps actually are and where they're located, assuming Chen would keep a list or map of that." Jay added.

 

"I'm sure Clouse would have, he seemed more coordinated than Chen." Nya said. "Come on, let's get to the geothermal power plant so we can get this island up and running again, then we can head to the palace and see what we can find."

 

"Sooooo, who w-was this 'Chen' guy?" Clancee asked as he walked next to Pythor.

 

"He was an insane, power-hungry cult leader." Pythor hissed and clenched his fists. "He used to be part of a mafia that I led around 50 years ago, and then, around 6 months ago, he led some serpentine-worshiping cult that stole the powers of the elemental masters and turned themselves into anacondrai and dragons."

 

"Holy shit…" He gasped. "And you were part of a crime ring?"

 

"Yeah, you're going to learn a lot of really bad things about me that you're really not going to like…" Pythor said as he frowned and looked down at the grass.

 

“Hey, don't feel bad. I was a pirate, remember?” Clancee said, patting him on the back, drawing a slight smile from him.

 

After fiddling around in the power plant, they soon entered the palace and found it to be largely untouched aside from the evidence of some wildlife that had gotten in at some point. All of the carpetry was in place along with the decorations, and the courtyard was devoid of people.

 

"So, this is where Chen held the tournament." Pythor said as he looked around. "This place is massive. I wouldn't even know where to start."

 

"I think I have an idea. I disguised myself as one of the kabuki servant girls when I was here, and I think I can lead us to an operations center."

 

Everyone nodded and followed her through the winding hallways of the main palace. Eventually they came to a steel door with a keypad and fingerprint reader, and found it to be locked.

 

"Darn it, I can't remember the code, and I don't have a fingerprint for it. I don't want to have to listen to some alarm." Nya muttered as she looked at the keypad, but Jay nudged her back and put his hand on it, short-circuiting the lock and opening it with a beep.

 

He stepped inside and the rest of the group followed him in and turned on the lights. Jay stepped up to a computer display and took a seat as he booted it up.

 

"What is that?" Clancee asked as he looked at the lights coming on.

 

"Oh that? That's a computer."

 

"What's… a computer?"

 

"You really don't know?" Jay asked.

 

"Hey! I've been g-gone for the past 200 years."

 

"Okay… uhhh… how do I explain this?" Pythor muttered. "Have you ever read an informative book? Like an anatomy book or a catalog of plants, or just any book in general?"

 

"Yeah, I've read books. I really like them actually."

 

"Okay, well, picture thousands of books and picture albums all crammed into a really, really tiny space, any parts of them able to be accessed with the push of a button." Pythor said.

 

"That's crazy. A-Although, I still don't understand how that works."

 

"Oh don't worry, people today don't even understand how it works." Pythor chuckled.

 

"Alright, I'm in." Jay said and scooted to the side. "There's a whole map of the island, complete with trapdoor locations, a map of secret passageways, and surface-to-air missile batteries."

 

"And… what's a m-m-missile?" Clancee whispered to Pythor.

 

"Think of it like a really, really fast cannonball that does a lot more damage. Sometimes they can even chase things."

 

"I still have so m-much to learn about the world." Clancee sighed.

 

"Don't worry, I'll help you through it." Pythor said and Clancee smiled.

 

"Hey, Pythor, Clancee, come over here." Nya said, and gestured them over to the map. "Alright, first thing that jumps to my mind is these anti-aircraft missile batteries along the south-eastern coast of the island. We can use those to defend this side, and force the pirates down to the ground."

 

"We just need to make sure we don't hit the Misfortune's Keep. We don't want to destroy Nadakhan's sword and send everyone trapped inside it falling to the ground." Jay said.

 

"I'm sure if he sees a missile flying at the ship or another one, he'll just poof out and save himself." Pythor added.

 

"Yeah, good point. I think we should focus on setting up the traps in the forest around the palace. I want to have as much land as possible covered before it gets dark." Jay said.

 

"Yeah, then we can set up traps in here once it gets too dark to work outside. Once morning comes, we can start working in the forest again and work our way outwards." Nya suggested.

 

"Sounds like you two got a plan. Guess we should get to work before it gets too dark." Pythor said.

 

"C-Can I help?" Clancee asked as he held his hands together. "I-I want to do some g-good."

 

"Of course you can help, and tell you what, once we're done outside and in here, I'll see what there is in the kitchen and if I can cook us up some dinner."

 

"Alright, well, we don't have much daylight left, so let's get to work." Nya said and hopped out of her chair.

 

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"Okay, they got flour, olive oil, salt, let's see… power's been out so eggs are bad… what can I use as a substitute?" Pythor muttered as he went around the kitchen. "Ah, applesauce! That will do."

 

Pythor put on some gloves and started mixing the flour and applesauce together. Once he had, he waited half an hour before he started slicing it and rolling it out.

 

“Now remember my love, it's important for you to rotate the dough as you roll it so that it thins evenly. If you don't you'll end up with crunchy spots and thick strands elsewhere.”

 

“Thanks, Xiuh…” Pythor reached up with an arm and wiped the tears coming out of his eyes, and hissed as he brushed his scales against the cut on his eye. "I gotta get this done. They're probably starving out there."

 

A little while later, Pythor rang the dinner bell, and he brought out a large bowl of pasta, a mixture of fruit, and some steaming vegetables.

 

"Dude! Where did you get all this stuff?!" Jay asked as he stared at the steaming food in front of him.

 

"The pantry and garden. There was a whole bunch of unopened things of flour, applesauce, fruit, and more. The herbs I added were opened, but they should still be good. The rabbit I got from hunting while we were out.”

 

Clancee's tongue flicked out and he smiled at the scents he was picking up. "Oh wow, t-t-this smells amazing!"

 

"I'm glad you like it, I can't wait to see if you like the taste as well." He said and sat down as he let them scoop some of it into their bowls first.

 

"Oh… Pythor, trust me when I say that this is the best pasta that I have ever tasted. Did you really make this with just four ingredients?" Jay asked.

 

"Seven, if you count the herbs I added on top."

 

"You really know how to cook. I thought we'd be having to eat the rations the police department gave us for dinner." Nya said. "Did you make this recipe?"

 

"Nah, it was given to me by my wife about a hundred years ago. The herbs I added and the applesauce I used for egg substitute are my own touches." He said. "I used to make this all the time for her and my kids."

 

Pythor froze as soon as he said that, and looked down and sighed.

 

"Wait, you were a father before?" Jay asked after several seconds.

 

Pythor grimaced and turned his head away, eyes watering. "Yeah, I used to be."

 

Nya's eyes widened after a few seconds and she put her hands to her mouth. "Oh my god… Pythor, I'm so sorry."

 

"What were their names?" Jay asked after a minute.

 

"My wife was named Xiuh, and she was a hypnobrai. Our son was named Indigo, and our daughter Cynder." Pythor said and sighed as tears streamed down his face. "Quetzal, I miss them. I didn't get to see them as often as I would have liked because I was the prince, but we tried to make our time together meaningful."

 

"I'm sure you did. Lloyd told us how you took care of him as a child and kept him healthy after he opened your tomb, taught him how to behave, and even how you threw yourself through a window to save him from a child predator." Jay added. "All of that is stuff that someone who's had kids would know how to do."

 

"Yeah, and look what I did afterwards when I found out he was Garmadon's son. I nearly killed him… twice."

 

He noticed that Clancee's eyes widened some at that, and he turned his gaze away from him and looked down at the table. Pythor picked up his fork again and started shoveling down his food. As he ate, the memories of Lloyd crying out for him as his cage tumbled closer to the lava in the volcano resurfaced, and he gripped his fork even tighter.

 

"I'm going outside."

 

He got up and left his dishes behind as he went down the halls and to the garden out back. Once he did, he sat down against a stone wall next to a fountain and held his tail to his chest, and tucked his head under his arms as tears started running down his face.

 

Several minutes later, he heard footsteps coming across the wooden bridge to the island he was on. "Hey, Pythor."

 

"Hey, Jay." His voice muffled by his arms. "Wet blanket, party of one."

 

Jay sighed and sat down next to him. "I don't think you've been a wet blanket." 

 

Pythor took his head out from behind his arms. "Seriously? I make us dinner and then blab off about nearly killing a child in front of my half-brother who hardly knows a damn thing about me, and you think I wasn't being a wet blanket?" 

 

"Yes, I am serious. We've both been through a lot lately." Jay added.

 

"Still…" He turned his head up and looked at the stars. "I've messed up so much stuff lately. I wanted this dinner to be fun and relaxing, a way for us all to bond before we really get to work tomorrow. Instead I had to go and ruin it.

 

"This isn't just about Lloyd, is it?"

 

Pythor shook his head and put his chin on his hands. "No, it's not. I broke up with my girlfriend, Salome. We were together for about four months or so and we spent so much time together. She expressed sympathy for me losing my arm, defended me to her xenophobic parents, and kept me from going out into a blizzard that probably would have killed me. I saved her life and then I just ripped myself out of it."

 

"What happened?"

 

"I was an impulsive and clingy jerk. We spent so much time around each other when she was recovering after a cougar attack that I saved her from, and we went on a date at her house. It went well for a little bit, but then stuff started piling up in my life."

 

"Salome was always willing to listen to me and offer her advice, so I would end up wanting to spend more and more time around her. Eventually I started choking her- figuratively of course- and she would want more time to herself. The stress from Arcturus being clingy and overprotective towards me, my probation, and other factors made me want to be around Salome no matter what."

 

"I already struggle with controlling my emotions on a regular basis, and with all of this stuff happening to me, when Salome didn't show up to a dinner reservation I had made for us one night… I snapped. I flew over to her house first thing in the morning, hurt and upset, and I had no idea she was called in for an emergency with a horse and that her cell phone had died."

 

"She had had enough and wanted us to take a break from each other, but me being me, I took that to mean the end of our relationship and broke up with her myself to prevent her from doing it. I called her after I tried to take my life to tell her I was going to work on fixing myself, but I really messed up, and I don't know what I can do to fix it. If I even can.”

 

Jay remained silent as he sat with his hand on his chin for at least a minute before he spoke. "I think I know what you can do."

 

"Huh? What?"

 

"I think you should apologize to her, first chance you get."

 

"What would I say?"

 

"I can't tell you that; but, from what you've told me, it sounds like you really love her. You should go to her and apologize for how you've treated her, and try to figure out a way for you to not be so clingy in the future, if you want to reenter a relationship with her."

 

"Well, I am going to therapy now, so maybe I can tell her that and stick with it more, lean into it. Jesshema has said that I meet most of the criteria for borderline personality disorder, so she's going to help me practice DBT and MBT, which should help me process and regulate my emotions.”

 

"That sounds good to me."

 

Pythor smiled and put an arm around Jay's shoulder. "Thanks for coming out here to help me. I really mean that. Did you get that out of Cliff Gordon's book?'

 

"HA! No, that was from the heart. And you're welcome.”

 

Pythor put his arms behind his head and smiled as he looked around at the garden and the pools of water. "Anything else you wanted to talk about? I'm probably going to head to sleep soon. I'm really tired."

 

"So am I. The past few days have really taken a lot out of me."

 

"Shame though, this garden is kind of pretty. A little overgrown, sure, but it still looks nice."

 

"Yeah, Nya wanted us to spend some time out here, so she used her element to 'pressure wash' things and clean the fountains."

 

“That's really nice of her. I definitely needed this. Thanks for coming out and seeing me, buddy. I really appreciated talking with you, it really helped.”

 

“Hey, what are friends for?”

 

"I think I'll head to bed now. First I gotta thank Nya for taking care of the garden, then it's a luxury hotel stay for me~” Pythor said, hopping up and setting off. “Goodnight, Jay.”

 

“Sweet dreams!”

 

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[5/17/16, 3:00 pm]

 

"How are we looking?" Nya asked as she tied a snare in the woods surrounding the mansion.

 

"T-The traps inside are locked and l-loaded." Clancee said as he and Pythor came over.

 

"I think we're ready." Pythor said.

 

"I hope we are, because they're here!" Jay yelled as he came over.

 

Everyone looked at each other and got up to run with him, heading inside to the control room. On the map, 5 ships were heading towards the island, gradually approaching a red ring around it.

 

"Jay, you remember what you're going to wish for?" Pythor asked as he watched the screen.

 

"Yeah, for Nadakhan to be a mortal human." The ships entered the red ring. "Showtime."

 

Jay brought up a camera screen, which showed several raid zepplins flying ahead of the Misfortune's Keep. Several rockets flew towards the ships, four of them striking the blimps and sending debris crashing to the ground. The other ships immediately dipped to the ground.

 

"Dammit, they're getting out of the radar field." Nya groaned.

 

The Misfortune's Keep shot out flares as it flew down as well, and cameras throughout the forest showed the pirates charging through it. Screams and cries of agony filled it as tripwires and snares swung into the pirates. They either had their legs or ribs broken, or fell onto sharpened sticks buried in mud and leaves.

 

"They're getting closer." Pythor said as he watched a pirate get yanked off by a snare and flung onto a wall of spikes.

 

"What do w-we do?" Clancee asked as some pirates fell through a trap door. "T-There are so many of them!"

 

Jay looked in a bag and pulled out a metal canister of tea. Nya put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. "Only as a last resort."

 

"I'm scared, Nya." Jay said, and he hugged her. Pythor looked at Clancee, and found himself thinking about how far they had come since they first knew each other.

 

"We'll keep you safe." Clancee said as he and Pythor put a hand on their shoulders.

 

"Yeah, traps are one thing, but let's see how they handle us." Pythor said, and Jay nodded.

 

"Let's do it."

 

A few minutes later, Pythor ran down a hallway with several pirates chasing him. As soon as he got around a corner, he turned invisible and greeted them with an empty hallway.

 

"Where'd he go? He was just he-" A pirate asked before his throat was slit.

 

"What the?!" Another pirate yelled before a bloody blade ran through his chest from behind.

 

"He's invisible!" A third said and swung his sword at Pythor, who blocked it and went in for a kill strike, only to be slammed to the ground from behind and be uncloaked.

 

He heard hooting and hissed as he turned around to see Monkey Wretch jumping and swinging his arms in the air. The mechanical monkey jumped at Pythor, only for a green fist to send him back down the hallway.

 

"Stay away from my brother!" Clancee hissed as he leveled his sword at Monkey Wretch, who shrieked at him. "Y-Yeah I deserted! The c-captain doesn't care about m-me or any of us, and if you knew what h-he wanted, you'd do the same!"

 

Monk jumped at Clancee who swung at him, but he kicked the sword out of his grasp and knocked Clancee to the ground. Monkey Wretch yanked out a switchblade and raised it up, but started floating. Pythor yelled and swung his fist at him, glowing blue runes surrounding his arm, and punched monkey wretch so hard he bounced off the walls like a pinball.

 

"Let's catch up with the others." Pythor said, helping him up, and the two of them ran down the hallway to the sounds of yelling and clanging swords. A bunch of pirates were held up at a junction, and Pythor leapt into spinjitzu, sending them flying into the walls and slumping down to the floor.

 

"We n-need to get out of h-here!" Clancee yelled as they came up to Nya and Jay.

 

"Couldn't agree more! Let's go!" She said and led them to a hidden door. They hurried down the steps and heard a door slam open when they reached the bottom.

 

"Crap, someone must have seen us!" Jay said as they kept running. "I still haven't seen Nadakhan either, I can't make my third wish without him around!"

 

"Clancee, you got the venom?" Pythor asked. He nodded and gave it to Pythor, who slowed down and opened it.

 

"W-What are you doing?" He asked.

 

"Getting ready." Pythor pulled several arrows out of the quiver on his back and dipped them in the venom. As soon as he had put the venom away, a stone wall next to them collapsed and a blue hand grabbed Nya.

 

"No!" Jay yelled and leapt to save her, only to be punched in the gut by Doubloon.

 

"I missed our little playdates." Dogshank said as Jay tried to force his way past the two-faced pirate.

 

"It's nice seeing you too, but if my memory serves correct, I believe last time I said I wasn't gonna play nice." Nya said and yanked Dogshank's hair, making her cry out.

 

"You pulled my hair? What kind of warrior pulls hair?!" She yelled and threw Nya to the ground.

 

"The kind that are woefully undersized!" Nya yelled and kicked her in the knee.

 

Doubloon jumped into spinjitzu and knocked Jay back into Clancee.

 

"Leave him alone!" Pythor hissed as he swung his blade at Doubloon, who struck back and clipped his shoulder.

 

"Just stop this! W-We can stop Nadakhan together!" Clancee pleaded as Jay helped him up.

 

"Don't make this harder than it has to be, Clancee." Dogshank warned as a canister rolled behind her, a glowing purple liquid oozing out of it.

 

"Nya! The tea!" Jay yelled as Pythor used telekinesis to send Doubloon down the corridor.

 

Nya looked at it and frowned. "I hope you packed your snowshoes!"

 

"Snowshoes?" A blast of water from a burst pipe slammed into her and sent her through the portal and into the frozen wasteland.

 

"Dammit! Will these pirates never stop coming?!" Pythor grunted as several more came down another hallway, and blocked them off from Nya and Jay. "We can't get to you!"

 

"Just keep going! We'll catch up!" Jay yelled.

 

Pythor grunted at having to leave them, but did as he was told and ran ahead with Clancee. He looked behind him and gasped when he saw Nadakhan swinging his sword towards them, with it glowing a bright green color.

 

"Get down!" Pythor yelled and tackled Clancee, who grunted from the impact, and from an arc of green energy crashing into the wall above their heads.

 

Pythor aimed an arrow at Nadakhan and released it, only to hit a pirate he used as a shield. Pythor's eyes widened when he heard cracking and he yanked Clancee ahead, just in time as several large chunks of rock fell right where they were. "Run!"

 

"Bring me their heads and the venom!"

 

"You want the venom? You got it." Pythor muttered as he drew another arrow from his quiver and aimed it at Nadakhan, who simply turned into metal and let it hit him with a clink . "Fuck…"

 

Pythor pressed his hand to the wall and collapsed it with his element, and turned around to run with Clancee again.

 

They didn't get far though before the ground underneath them turned to ice and they slipped onto their back. Pythor looked behind him and gasped when he saw Nadakhan holding his sword, covered in ice.

 

Pythor grunted and pressed his hand to the ice and deconstructed it, then grabbed Clancee in his tail and dashed around a corner. "Thanks for the fuel!" Pythor snapped his right hand and created a spark, filling the entire corridor with a large explosion.

 

He still flinched at the booming noise, but got up with Clancee and urged him down the hallway.

 

"W-what was that?" Clancee asked.

 

"Alchemy. That's what my element allows me to do. I turned the ice into hydrogen gas and ignited it. Hopefully that will hold them off for a while. Let's find the others.”

 

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"Do y-you know w-where we are?" Clancee asked after they went around several corners and corridors, and frowned when he saw Pythor's wide eyes. "Seriously?!"

 

"Dude, this is my first time on this island! Don't pin this on m-" Pythor hissed before he was yanked to the side and a hand pressed over his mouth.

 

Nya held her other hand up to her lips and looked at Clancee as she released Pythor. "You two need to get out of here and find Jay."

 

"Find him? What happened to him?! Where is he?" Pythor whispered.

 

"Most of the traveler's tea got poured out, there was only enough for one person. I had to get him to safety."

 

"What happened t-to wishing Nadakhan was a human?" Clancee asked.

 

Nya sighed. "Nadakhan kept poofing around so he couldn't hear it. Without the venom, he won't be slow enough to hear it fully and avoid twisting it."

 

"I have the venom." Pythor hissed as he showed her his arrows drenched in the venom. "I haven't been able to hit him with my poison arrows, but why don't we do this together?"

 

"Yeah. I still ha-have my third wish. Why can't I do it?"

 

"Because we're outmatched here. You really think Nadakhan's going to listen to you wish that? It needs to be something from the heart, something that is so specific and meaningful tha-"

 

Clancee suddenly screamed as a white blur slammed into him and sent him crashing into a wall. "I finally found you, my sweet Nya, as well as the traitorous serpentine."

 

"Ugh… dammit…" Clancee groaned as he got up, holding a hand to a gash on the side of his face.

 

Pythor pulled out an arrow and tried to stab Nadakhan with it, but the djinn dissolved into gray smoke and cut Pythor's left arm with his sword. Pythor grunted as he pressed a hand to it, right before he was pinned to a wall by the djinn.

 

"Get out of here!" Nya yelled and grabbed the dropped arrow. Nadakhan dissolved into smoke before she could stab him and reformed behind her. She burst a water pipe and filled the air with a cloud of fog.

 

Pythor grunted and grabbed Clancee's arm as he pulled him through the fog. Clancee opened his mouth, but Pythor pressed a finger to his mouth and urged him further ahead. Eventually, they made their way to a large arena and throne room that was pitch black.

 

"Phew, we finally got away from them." Pythor panted as he put his hands on his waist.

 

"Yeah, e-except I can't see a d-damn thing in here." Clancee muttered.

 

"I don't know how much longer I can do this…"

 

"Then let me put you to rest."

 

Pythor gasped and turned around to see Nadakhan standing at the entranceway. He ignited his sword in fire and swung it outwards, the flames flying towards and lighting the candles across the room.

 

"Goddammit, does he ever quit?" Pythor asked as he transmuted a spear out of the ground while Clancee drew his cutlass.

 

"This is going to be fun." Nadakhan chuckled and disappeared in a cloud of dust, and reformed right in front of him, stabbing his sword forwards.

 

Pythor leapt back and struck the sword to the side, then thrust his spear at Nadakhan. The djinn blocked the strike, but broke contact when Clancee lunged in for a slash and followed up with another.

 

The crystal on his sword turned a yellow/green color and a thick pale-yellow gas shot towards Clancee. Pythor gasped and gripped him with telekinesis and yanked him away. "Don't breathe that! It's chlorine gas!"

 

"What?" Clancee asked before he held his chest as he started coughing.

 

"Oh, that doesn't sound good." Nadakhan said, but grunted when Pythor muttered some words and hit him with a gust of wind, clearing the air.

 

"Damn you!" Pythor yelled and slammed a hand to the ground, making a rock pillar erupt towards the djinn.

 

Nadakhan grunted from the impact and jumped away with speed. Pythor looked around for him, only to collapse screaming with his hands over his ears as the room was filled with a deafening ringing that struck both him and Clancee.

 

He had barely looked up when he saw the rock pillar break apart into cones that shot towards him. He gasped and darted away, weaving between the rocks. A cry tore itself out of his mouth when a couple slammed into the side of his chest and tail.

 

Pythor groaned and pressed a hand to his side, cringing at the searing pain that lit up from the bruised scales. Nadakhan dashed towards him, but yelled when a bang echoed through the room. He pressed a hand to his neck and saw blood dripping from a gash on his neck.

 

Pythor looked over at Clancee and saw the smoking barrel from the pistol he held. "Get. Away. From. My. Brother."

 

Nadakhan immediately drew his own gun. "Go on boy, shoot. You think you're faster than me?!"

 

Nadakhan lifted his sword towards Pythor, and he saw the pale silver color of the crystal. "Clancee! Don't! He's gonna use smo-"

 

Two bangs filled the air.

 

Clancee screamed as a bullet buried itself his gut and dropped the pistol. Nadakhan grinned and drew another gun on Pythor, who had wrapped his metal hand around the muzzle mid-draw. A third gunshot filled the air, blasting a hole in Pythor's hand.

 

Pythor had already drawn a knife from his belt, and with lightning speed, slashed Nadakhan across the face with his off-hand. "You're going to pay for thatl!" He yelled, slashing again. Nadakhan grunted and immediately disarmed Pythor with one arm and drove the blade into his forearm with another down to the bone.

 

Pythor almost fell over backwards, grabbing at the stabbed arm, but he had no time to dwell on the pain as his head slammed into the ground, followed by his entire body being lifted and smashed into the ground repeatedly. He cried out as he was thrown into the wall, the impact dislodging the knife and causing blood to pour out.

 

Pythor shuddered and groaned as his head pounded and his entire body stung. A copper taste ran over his tongue, and he coughed as he spat out the blood from the bitten organ.

 

“You actually thought you and this cripple could stand against me? The lord of the seas and the air? You're nothing!” Nadakhan yelled as he floated over to him.

 

“I'm going to be a ninja. No matter what, motherfucker.” He coughed from the ground, glaring up at the djinn with fire in his eyes.

 

“You wish.” Nadakhan scoffed and raised the sword overhead, the blade cloaked in fire.

 

"I wish Pythor was sent to Jay!"

 

"What?!" Pythor gasped and looked at Clancee, a second before he fell through a portal in the ground.

Chapter 20: Bring on the Pirates!

Summary:

A bit of a long chapter here, but, given how it's the finale of the pirate arc, I figured it fits. Plus I couldn't find a good spot to split the chapters.

Pythor is sent to Jay's location as per Clancee's wish, and the two have to quickly formulate a plan to recruit new allies and free the ninja from Nadakhan's sword, the captive Clancee, and stop Nadakhan from getting reality-warping power

A portal opened up in the sky, and Pythor screamed as he fell out of it and hit a metal roof with a "thunk". He tumbled off the roof and fell to the ground, groaning as he held his side.

 

"Oh my! What was that? Pythor?"

 

He looked up and saw Ed and Edna looking out the door to a trailer, and Jay ran past her upon hearing Pythor's name.

 

"Pythor! What are you doing here?! Are you okay?"

 

"Jay? What are you-ngh!" Pythor grunted when he got up.

 

"It seems like you're hurt there, Pythor. Come on, let's get you inside." Ed said, and put Pythor's arm around his shoulder as he helped him up the steps.

 

Pythor sat down on a couch in the trailer home with a groan and put his arm on the side of it. "Thanks…"

 

"Pythor, what happened to you? Are you okay? Where are Nya and Clancee?"

 

"Now hold on, Jay, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Pythor looks like he's hurt, let's give him some space." Ed said and looked at the side of Pythor's body after putting some glasses on. "Mmm… that looks like a nasty bruise you got there."

 

"The middle of his tail also looks bad. What caused this?" Edna asked.

 

"Nadakhan… he… ngggh… used the element of earth and sent them flying at me, I got hit in the back and my tail." Pythor groaned, wincing as he shifted.

 

"I would be careful how I move if I were you." Ed warned. "If you got hit that hard in the back, you could have suffered some bad injuries to your internal organs, in which case you might need to go to the hospital."

 

"If Nadakhan gets his way, there may not be a hospital to go to any longer."

 

"What happened to Clancee and Nya? Are they okay?" Jay asked as Edna wrapped bandages around the cuts on Pythor's arm and shoulder.

 

"I don't know. Nya told us to go and find you after she got you through the traveler's tea, but we were attacked by Nadakhan and forced to run. Clancee and I tried to fight him when we were cornered, but he was too powerful with all the elements. Clancee got shot and used his last wish to send me here. I need to save him."

 

"Now hold on, you are in no condition to move. You need to stay right where you are and let your wounds heal." Ed said.

 

"I can heal faster than that. This is probably going to take several years off my lifespan though." Pythor said and held a hand to his side. "Corpus energia vitali imple, vulnera vitae sana."

 

"Uhhh… what is he saying?" Edna asked as his hand and wounds glowed a mint green color.

 

"He can use magic." Jay said and sighed. "He wouldn't have to if it weren't for me. If I could take back the wishes, I would. But I can't. It cost me my friends, my dragon, and the love of my life. And now it's up to me, and me alone, to stop the wedding and save the world. Just one guy against a Djinn with nearly every elemental power and his entire fleet."

 

"Now you stop it. Stop making excuses." Ed said as he put his hands on his hips.

 

"Huh?"

 

"Every time you're in over your head, you make a joke and you try to laugh it off. Right now is not a time to be a man of words, but a man of action."

 

"Ed, don't be so hard on him."

 

"N-Now, he needs to hear this, darling. The world is falling apart, and he's eating soup."

 

"But I told you, it's just me."

 

"Hush, puppy! You're liked by everyone who meets you. You're telling me a boy from a junkyard can't scrap together a few friends to help him out in a jam?" Ed continued. "You have a man right here willing to follow you to the underworld and back, and I know if you put your heart to it, you can get some more."

 

"He's right, Jay. You helped me back on Chen's island, and now I'm going to help you get Nya back. Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it." Pythor swore as he sat up. Jay smiled at him and nodded.

 

"Alright. Nadakhan may have near-infinite power, but as long as we stop the wedding, we can still stop him. First though, we gotta fix up your hand, and I know just the tools we can use to do it!”

 

"That's the spirit, Jay!" Edna cheered. "Good luck crashing the wedding."

 

"Thanks, mom. You too, dad. We'll let you know how it goes."

 

"And after you save Nya, bring her over for a bite. We'd love to see her again." Ed added. “We're going to get back to work. Let us know if you need anything before you go though.”

 

“Will do.” He said and turned to Pythor, who was tampering with the wrist and yanked his hand off, promptly giving it to Jay while explaining how it happened. "I'll see what I can do. As for our team, I have a few ideas of who I'd like to recruit. You want to come with?"

 

"Nah, I think I'll recruit some friends of my own. It will be faster if we split up. Where should we meet up and who are we getting?"

 

"Let's meet at the Milton on Market Streer in one of the conference rooms. I'll text you where. As for recruits, I'll get Dareth, Commissioner Bankers, and Ronin."

 

"Alright, I'll get Skylor, Skalidor, Captain Soto, and my dad. See you then." Pythor transformed into a dragon, while Jay summoned his, and the two flew off.

 

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[40 minutes later]

 

Pythor touched down in the lawn of a medium-sized wooden house and transformed back into a serpentine. He slithered up to the front door and rang the doorbell, making a dog bark. The door opened up shortly after and a black and orange serpentine slithered out.

 

"Pythor? What are you doing here? I thought you'd be at work?"

 

"Wait! Pythor is here? Where have you been? You haven't come in to work or answered the phone in four-" He heard a voice ask and saw Alexis come outside as well, and she gasped when she saw the bandages on him.

 

“Woaaaah…” Bytar eyed his whole body as he stepped outside with their dog, who started sniffing Pythor.

 

"Sorry about that, but… a lot has happened. You remember that stuff about the ninja?" He asked, and she nodded. "Well, I got myself involved in that stuff and the one truly responsible for it, why Fulcrum is getting filled with holes, and it got me in danger."

 

"Is that why you look so roughed up? Are you feeling alright?" Skalidor asked.

 

"Oh this is nothing compared to what I've already been through." Pythor said and looked at his right arm. "But no, I'm not alright. Some of my friends were taken captive by a djinn and his fleet of pirates, and I found out I have a brother who risked his life to save mine. He was wounded in combat and I assume he's been taken captive as well."

 

"So, why did you come here?"

 

"I was wanting to ask if you could help me fight them and get them back. I know you have a family, so it's okay to say-"

 

"I'll help you."

 

"Skali-" Alexis said and put a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Dad, please don't go. I'm scared.”

 

"I'll be okay, son. You being scared is why I'm going.” He said. “Pythor is right. Land is being ripped out of the continent, and I'm terrified that our house is going to be next. I don't want anything to happen to you or the rest of our family. We have no idea what the pirates would do if our house was taken."

 

"I'm worried about you, honey." Alexis said.

 

"I know, but I'll be careful. As soon as we get this djinn taken care of, I'll be right back home." He said and hugged her, giving her a quick kiss. "I'll be right back out, Pythor."

 

He went inside, and Pythor turned to Alexis. "As soon as this is over, I'm going to make things up with Salome. I really messed up, and I want her to know that I'm sorry for hurting her."

 

"I think she'll appreciate that." Alexis said, and Skalidor came out shortly thereafter, holding a shotgun and his staff.

 

"Ready?" Pythor asked, reaching down to pet the dog before leaving.

 

"Sure am." Skalidor said and slithered down the steps after waving goodbye to Alexis and hugging Bytar and their dog. "Who else did you have in mind?"

 

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Pythor rang the front doorbell to another house, and when it opened, he was immediately pulled into a tight hug.

 

"Son, the next time you disappear and scare me like that, I'm going to slap you."

 

"Hey dad, how have you been?"

 

"Don't worry about me. How are you here? I thought Nadakhan kidnapped you." Arcturus asked as he released him.

 

"He did, but my mate Wisp saved me. I've actually been with the ninja for a little while, and I was a prisoner for a couple days. I had… this-” He gestured to his face and body. “Happen to me during a few fights on the ship.”

 

“It looks like you've been through a lot.”

 

“That's putting it mildly.” Skalidor chuckled. “He gave me the Ninjago Digest version on the way here. Still, you should be proud of him. Your boy here is a scrapper.”

 

"We need your help, dad. He's captured most of the elemental masters in his blade, and he's only going to get more powerful if we don't stop him. He's also holding my friend Clancee prisoner.”

 

“Wait, Clancee? Your brother is alive?!” Arcturus asked.

 

“Yeah, he's… wait, how did you know he was my… you knew ?!” Pythor balked.

 

“Oh… shit… yeah, I…”

 

"You never told m-” He immediately pinched his nose and sighed. “I don't have time to deal with this right now. We need to get going. We still have two people we need to get. Time is of the essence."

 

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Pythor, Arcturus, and Skalidor slithered down the sidewalk in Ninjago City, and saw a man get thrown out a door.

 

"You snake bitch! I'll have you shut down!" He yelled as he got up while Skylor slithered out of her noodle shop.

 

"Go ahead and try. Now get!" She said and cracked her knuckles, sending him running. She then saw Pythor and the others and chuckled. "Something tells me you're not here for the noodles."

 

"Not quite. You up for a fight?" Pythor asked, and she grinned.

 

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Then, at the Ninjago Museum of history, Soto was seen walking up to an exhibit with a saw blade, but Pythor whistled as he held up a wooden peg-leg.

 

"I tried stealing from here once. It's best to not try it." Skalidor said, and waved Soto over.

 

As they were leaving, Pythor spotted the curator looking at them with his eyes narrowed and arms crossed. Pythor gave a half-wave to him, but he just glared more and walked away.

 

"I get the feeling that Dr. Saunders really does not like me."

 

Arcturus watched him walk away and scratched his head. "He looks kind of familiar, huh."

 

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Pythor and his friends walked into the conference room of the Milton and saw the people Jay had gathered. Pythor saw Fangtom sitting on a chair and hissed loudly as his fists clenched. In a flash, he had dashed over to Jay and pointed at the fangpyre general.

 

"What is he doing here?!" Pythor hissed through clenched teeth.

 

"Okay, Pythor… I know that you're upset with hi-"

 

" 'Upset' ?! He told me to kill myself, and you didn't tell me you were planning to bring him! I have a restraining order against him!"

 

"I know, but I’ve visited him, and he really seems to regret saying what he did to you. Plus he's a good fighter, and we can use his abilities."

 

"I don't care if he had tiger widow venom in his fangs! We don't need him!"

 

Jay's face hardened and he crossed his arms. "Pythor, I know you have your problems with Fangtom, but don't forget that Kai, Cole, Pixal, and Zane also have theirs with you. If you really want to be a ninja, you're going to have to accept that not everyone is going to like you or agree with you."

 

Pythor's fists clenched harder and he tore himself away. "Fine." He sat down on a chair and crossed his arms as he watched Arcturus slither over to Fangtom.

 

"I don't want to hear you utter a single word to my son, got it?"

 

"O-Okay, y-you won't sir. Please, just… I'm sorry. I really am…" Fangtom said as he backed away from him.

 

"Hey! Arcturus! What I told Pythor goes for you as well. You want to fight? Save it for the sky pirates. Now sit down so we can get started." Jay said and pointed to a seat. Arcturus hissed and sat down in the chair, and Fangtom sat far away from him, holding his arms and tail tight to his body and looking at the carpet.

 

Jay cleared his throat and approached the front of the group. "Okay, listen up. Nya's about to wed someone I despise. And I'm not going to mince words: after he does, big surprise, he'll become all-powerful. I'm talking being able to warp reality with unlimited wishes for himself."

 

Everyone save Pythor, Ronin, and the commissioner gasped.

 

"Unlimited wishes? Neither sea nor land will be safe if he does!" Soto said.

 

“He'll be able to wish my three star dojo out of existence if he gets that kind of power.” Dareth whined.

 

"We can't let that happen." Skylor agreed.

“Wait, you all didn’t know about that?” Ronin asked.

“And you did?” Jay asked.

“Of course! You think I wanted some magical djinn pirate running around? Why do you think I got you and the rest of the ninja thrown in jail with the person who sealed him away?” He asked and gestured to Soto, and Jay groaned as he put a hand to his head.

 

"Whatever. Normally, I'd rely on the help of the ninja. But they're trapped inside a magical sword. Go figure. So I've come to you to help me get close enough to wish Nadakhan isn't a Djinn, so we can stop the ceremony and save Ninjago. I know this is a lot to ask, and it's all right to say no."

 

"I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we're all on board with this." Skalidor said as he looked around. "I came because I was worried my family's house would be the next to get ripped up. Knowing now that this djinn would be able to do anything he wants to us just by wishing it, no one would be safe from his greed."

 

“Yeah, I'm not letting my wife or children fall into the hands of those scum.” Fangtom said.

 

"A chance to fight Nadakhan again? Count me in." Soto agreed.

 

"Same here. I have a score to settle with him. Especially after he took my son." Arcturus said with a smile.

 

"I'm in too. There's no greater mission than that of love." Dareth jumped in.

 

"Not to mention the whole 'saving Ninjago' thing." Skylor said.

 

"And saving my hide." Ronin said, and looked at the commissioner, who frowned at him. "Hey, I told you I thought that stuff was trash."

 

"What's the plan for getting up there? They have the airspace completely locked down. We'd never be able to fly up there without getting shot down." The commissioner asked. “The air force can't attack them openly because of civilian casualties.”

 

"Which is why we aren't going to be flying up. We're going to be using the next piece of land as our ride up." Jay said.

 

"Wait… what?" Fangtom asked. " That ' s your plan?"

 

"Right now the pirates control the skies. The first sign of us approaching, it'd be like waking up a hornet's nest." Jay said and pulled out a map. "But if we locate the next portion of land that will be pulled up into Djinjago, we'll sneak up onto it as fast as we can, and use it to slip through their defenses. I call it: Operation Land Ho."

 

"But we don't know where or when the next piece of land will be stolen. It could be clear across Ninjago." Soto noted.

 

"That's why I said as fast as we can."

 

"Jay, I don't think this is a good idea." Pythor said as he shook his head. "What if the next piece of land is in Metalonia, or by Stiix? There's no way we'll be able to fly there that fast to get to it in time. How will we even know when land is being taken?"

 

"I have to agree with Pythor. It's just not practical to try and guess where the next piece of land will be taken from. We don't even know if there will be any place to hide on it." Arcturus said. "I think we should try flying up on me and Pythor anyways. We can use magic to try and stay invisible until we get up there."

 

"I'm not happy about it either, but if we're flying up on you, and we still get spotted, we're going to be in danger on your backs." Jay said.

 

Ronin put a hand up and went over to the map as he pressed another to an earpiece and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Everyone act natural, we got ears on us."

 

Arcturus held his hand out to Ronin and both of them turned invisible before stepping out from behind a wall. Jay also stepped over to a window.

 

"Bagel, diorama. Clown riots. Sandy pockets for me. Hamster pillow. Crying. Love magic." He looked over at where Ronin and Arcturus had gone and whispered. "Shall I go on?"

 

Ronin stepped behind a wall and turned visible for a moment and nodded, then turned invisible again.

 

"Bequeath, mamajama, ninja chips."

 

Ronin and Arcturus turned visible and the former pointed at a rooftop across the street. "We got em. Now let's really give them something to look at."

 

The two pirates ran to their planes, and Pythor dashed to the window. "Get to the roof! We can't let them warn the other pirates!"

 

He slithered up the staircase, using his long body to weave vertically between the railings and slammed himself against a door, which refused to budge. He hissed and pressed a hand to it, and it sparked, blowing the door into pieces. As soon as he got out, the planes flew past them.

 

Pythor ran to the edge and jumped off as he transformed into a dragon. He pumped his wings as hard as he could, building up air underneath them and pushing himself closer to the pirates. One of them reached down to their pants and looked back at him, and he dropped down just in time to avoid getting shot.

 

He stayed low and saw one of the pirates splitting away from the other, but stayed on his. He flew from underneath and breathed in, releasing a jet of fire at him. Something thudded on his back, and he looked back to see Skylor on him.

 

"Stop doing that! If he crashes into a building he could kill someone!" She yelled. "Get me close."

 

He growled and flew after the pirate, weaving between buildings and trying to keep his wings away from the windows on the narrow streets. It got to the point where he had to fly sideways through some gaps.

 

"Get ready!" He yelled and flew over a bridge, then dived down behind the plane.

 

Skylor jumped off and grabbed onto the plane. She wrapped herself around him and tightened her coils as she moved him to her tail. She bit the plane with her fangs and transformed it into a snake jet.

 

"Let's get him to the police." She said, and Pythor nodded. He grabbed the pirate in his claws and flew down to the street, dropping him next to the commissioner's police car.

 

The ground started shaking, and Pythor looked around, only to gasp when he saw a chunk of ground the size of a city block slowly rising up into the air.

 

"We better get moving." Skylor said.

 

"What about the other pirate?" Pythor asked.

 

Something came over the radio that Pythor couldn't make out, and the commissioner waved them off. "Your father and Soto took care of him. Now go!"

 

Pythor took off and landed on the chunk of land along with Skylor and Arcturus, who transformed back to normal as they huddled up.

 

"Alright, looks like we're in the clear." Jay said.

 

"I don't know." Fangtom said as he shook his heads. "I think we should be careful. We don't know how much they heard."

 

"Yeah, they might have warned the rest of the pirates by radio." Skylor agreed.

 

"So let's hide in one of these buildings. They might check them once they arrive, but we shouldn't be out in the open. We can dig out through the basement once we're up." Skalidor suggested.

 

"Sounds like a plan." Pythor said.

 

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"Good news is she be on the top floor of that building there." Soto said as he looked through a spyglass and a window. Jay ran over as he pointed to Nya. "Bad news be everybody else and their mothers be guarding below."

 

"So much for the quiet entrance." Ronin sighed.

 

"So… what? We just force our way through?" Fangtom asked. "We'll be filled with holes if we try that."

 

"Exactly, which is why we won't." Skylor said and turned to Jay. "They may know you're coming, but they haven't caught us yet. We'll get you close, you do the rest."

 

"About that… I can't go with you, Jay." Pythor said.

 

"Huh? Why not?"

 

"I need to find my brother. I'm sure he's still alive."

 

"How can you be sure?"

 

"Because Nadakhan knows I'd come back for him."

 

"Well you're not going alone. I'm going with you." Arcturus said and put a hand on his shoulder.

 

"Damn right you're coming with me. I'm still peeved how you knew I had a brother and didn't tell me."

 

Arcturus flinched and rubbed his arm as Dareth stepped forward. "If we're going to split up, I say it's best we do it now. Those pirates are going to be searching this building soon, and we don't want to be in here when they do. I'll go with Jay."

 

"As will I. I know how to stay low, and my equipment will probably come in handy." Ronin said.

 

"I should go with them too." Skylor said. "I can keep one or two of them invisible, and having all of the serpentine abilities will come in handy."

 

"Captain Soto, who are you going with?" Pythor asked.

 

"I be crazy for thinking o' this, saving a crewmate of my enemy, but I'm sailing with you."

 

"I think I will as well." Fangtom said as he looked at the ground. "I miss seeing my little brother, and I know I'd do anything to give him his voice back."

 

Pythor sighed at that, but didn't make any comments to avoid reprimands from Jay.

 

"I think I'll go with you, too. I get the feeling you're going to need my help." Skalidor said.

 

"Thanks buddy. Alright, let's meet back here once we have everybody. Right rear corner office, 10th floor."

 

The two groups went to the basement, where Skylor and Skalidor started digging a hole into the bedrock. The two poked their heads out of the ground shortly thereafter and looked around.

 

"The coast looks clear." Skylor said, and helped everyone out.

 

"Alright, I think I remember seeing a map of where they were going to be putting the prison." Pythor said as he led his group off, turning invisible while holding Soto's hand. "Let's try to stay quiet and avoid contact as much as possible."

 

The group made their way across the bridges linking the islands and around buildings, soon coming to a large concrete building. There were guards posted all around, three to each door and at least two on each corner of the roof.

 

"Well, I'd say Nadakhan definitely knew you were coming." Skalidor said as he peeked his head around a corner.

 

"How do we get in? There be no telling how many guards be inside, nor where this brother o’ yours be held."

 

"I think I remember the layout of the place from when Skalidor and I busted some serpentine out. I can probably guide us to a storage room where we can begin searching." Fangtom said.

 

"Alright, let's get going then." Arcturus said, and they dug into the ground.

 

"Turn right at 40°, continue straight for 61 meters, turn left 20°…" Fangtom said, and Skalidor dug effortlessly through all of the dirt and rock, being mindful not to dig too low. "Alright, I think we're here."

 

Pythor wriggled past them and pressed his hand to the rocks and transmuted a door into the floor. He opened it and poked his head through. "We're good. Fangtom was right." He climbed out and muttered under his breath. "This time."

 

"So, how do we find Clancee?" Arcturus asked.

 

Pythor opened the door slightly and poked his head out while it was invisible. "We don't know what floor or cell he's being held in, so I think the best course of action is to tackle the floors one by one until we do. We should probably split up and alternate floors too. It will be easier to avoid patrols if we aren't a large group."

 

"Alright, I'll take Captain Soto and Skalidor with me. We'll start on the second floor." Arcturus said.

 

Pythor nodded, but blinked when he realized who that left him with. He opened his mouth to ask if they could switch, but Arcturus and Skalidor were already leaving.

 

"The first floor doesn't have any real cells on it, just holding rooms, offices, restrooms, and a lounge. We should probably move to the third floor." Fangtom said. "I know where the stairs are."

 

"Fine, let's just get Clancee and get out of here." He sighed, and saw Fangtom tense up and look down at the floor.

 

"I probably shouldn't be seen. Should I… hold your hand or…?"

 

Pythor chanted some words, and Fangtom disappeared from sight for anyone else. Without even speaking a word to him, Pythor camouflaged himself and slithered out into the hallway, avoiding patrolling pirates and looking for the stairs. He felt his arm be grabbed, and Fangtom pulled him down another hallway to the stairs.

 

"Hey, Pythor?" Fangtom asked as soon as they got in the stairs. "I… wanted to apologize to you for what I said."

 

Pythor rolled his eyes as they went up the steps. "We really should stay quiet."

 

"Y-Yeah… y-you're right. I'm sorry."

 

His voice sounded strained, almost like he was about to cry, and Pythor grimaced at feeling his chest tense up. Was he feeling bad for him? Fangtom told him to kill himself, and he actually tried to!

 

Pythor's hand gripped the handrail tightly, and as he turned the corner to the 3rd floor, he saw teardrops falling to the floor. He sighed and put his hand on the door.

 

"We'll talk later. Let's go, and stay quiet." Pythor whispered and opened the door. They slithered down the hallway, and down one corridor stood two pirates on either side of a cell. He pressed his tail to Fangtom so he'd know which way he was going.

 

As soon as he got to the cell, he covered his mouth to stifle a gasp. Inside sat Clancee leaning against a wall with his arms held to his chest, cuts and bruises all over his body, a black eye, his peg-leg missing, as were both of his front fangs.

 

He bared his teeth and wrapped his tail around the neck of one of the pirates and snapped it. The other pirate started to yell, but a red line was created along his neck, and he fell back against the wall, clutching his throat as blood spurted out.

 

Pythor retracted his bloody arm blade and went over to the cell door, revealing himself to Clancee. "Hey, little bro."

 

"You came back…" Clancee said with a weak smile. "I knew you would."

 

"Hell yeah I would. Let's get you out of there." Pythor busted the lock on the cell door and went inside. He leaned down and lifted Clancee's arm over his shoulders.

 

"SHIT!" Fangtom yelled and dove into the cell, pushing them back just as bullet blew away part of the concrete. He pulled a rifle off of his shoulder and looked over at them. "They found us! We gotta go!"

 

"I'll help!" Pythor said and grabbed him and turned invisible, doing the same for him. He felt Fangtom lean out and cried out when he fired twice before jerking back, and held his ear as it started ringing. Fangtom jerked back and cycled another round in.

 

"Damn, I couldn't get them all!"

 

Pythor hissed and leaned out, only to duck back when several bullets hit the metal bars. "We're going to die in here if we don't think of something!"

 

Several more blasts echoed out. "Come on! It's clear!"

 

"Skalidor?" Fangtom asked as he darted outside.

 

"Let's go!" Skalidor yelled as Pythor secured his hold on Clancee and hurried out as well. Skalidor's eyes widened. "Get on the floor!"

 

Pythor did just that and positioned himself overtop of Clancee as bullets flew over him. He looked behind them and pressed a hand to the ground, and rainbow sparks traveling down the hallway to the pirates. They yelled as the ground rumbled and pillars slammed them into the ceiling with a crunching sound.

 

"You okay?" Pythor asked.

 

"Y-Yeah." Clancee breathed as Pythor helped him up and they went into the stairwell.

 

"We need to move, every guard in here is swarming to our location!" Arcturus said as he followed Skalidor down the steps, ducking to the side as the latter shot another couple pirates with his shotgun, their bodies slumping against the wall.

 

“Damn it, I need to get some earplugs.” Pythor then noticed the extra person with them. "What are you doing here, Flintlocke?"

 

"Servin' time for inciting a mutiny. Reckoned I could put the cap'n in his place, but I still can't hit the broadside of a barn."

 

"We could still use the help." Arcturus said as he held Skalidor's scythe-staff, ready to swing it at a moment's notice. "Let's hurry back to the office building."

 

"Get us to an outside wall." Pythor said, and they went into the bathroom. Pythor pressed his hands to it and transmuted a door to the outside. As soon as they were, they were forced back to the wall by gunshots.

 

Fangtom aimed his rifle at one corner and blew a pirate's brains out, while Skalidor filled another's chest full of buckshot.

 

"Alright, let's get to Jay." Pythor said and led them off.

 

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"You didn't get her?" Fangtom asked as Jay came back into the room with some water bottles.

 

"No, but she did help me get this." Jay said and picked up the sword of souls. "Now I just gotta figure out a way to get inside and free my friends."

 

"There is a way." Soto said. "A Djinn can capture you in his Djinn Blade by tricking you to wish it all away. Or there's a simpler way: be struck by it."

 

"Wait wait wait," Skylor said and shook her hands. "You're telling me we have to strike Jay with the sword? Won't that be painful?"

 

"Nadakhan tried to cut and stab me several times with that sword!" Pythor added. "I doubt he was trying to get me inside it."

 

"And how do you know that's true? You still call the ninja "'Pajama Men'." Dareth added.

 

"Look, I may not know much about Pajama Men, but I know Djinn. The hard part isn't getting captured by the blade, but getting out. There have been few who have ever escaped a Djinn entrapment, so I can't tell you what you'll find inside. But once you're there, you'll only have minutes until you fall under its enchantment and are forever trapped yourself."

 

"Captain Soto is r-right. If you're struck by the sword w-when the user wants to trap you inside it, you'll be sssssucked in. You'll be aware and able to move around for a few minutes. If you're f-fast, you'll be able to get out the way you went in." Clancee added.

 

"Okay, thanks for the tip. I gotta work fast. So, who wants to strike me down?" Jay asked.

 

"A-Actually Jay, I think that I should handle this one." Pythor said, but Arcturus shook his head.

 

"What? No. Pythor, I can't let you do that. It's too dangerous."

 

"And you think fighting Nadakhan and the rest of the sky pirates without the elemental masters isn't? Dad, I've been inside that sword, I know what to expect." Pythor said as he held a hand to his chest. "I'm a dragon too, I can carry more people than Jay will be able to alone."

 

"Are you sure about this, Pythor?" Jay asked.

 

"Yes, I am. We don't have much time to act, so we need to do this now. Dad, I need you to stay here. I know the two of us could get even more people out, but I think it's important to have a dragon on the outside in case I get stuck, and Clancee is too injured to do it himself."

 

Arcturus looked at the floor and clenched his fists. "You better come out."

 

"I will. I promise."

 

"You ready?" Jay asked.

 

"As ready as I'm gonna be. Hit me." Pythor said, and he saw Jay swing the sword.

 

The next thing he knew, he was tumbling tail over head in a bright, green world. He shook his head once he stopped spinning and looked around, seeing several people all covered in green crystals.

 

"Alright, let's do this." Pythor said and transformed. He beat his wings and pushed through the pocket world, and quickly spotted Zane, grabbing him in his paw and stirred him awake. "Climb on me!"

 

He shook his head and slowly moved up to his back as Pythor kept moving, soon finding the rest of the ninja one by one. As he moved, he started yawning and slapped himself to stay alert. He spotted Misako and shook her. "Where's Wu?"

 

Misako yawned and pointed behind Pythor as she climbed up on his head. He pushed crystals aside and grabbed Wu, yelling at him to wake up. His eyes started getting heavier, and he resorted to using his claws to dig into his scales, the pain jolting him more.

 

As he pushed through more of the crystals, he spotted Erik and the master of poison, grabbing them in his paws as well. He bit his tongue and kept moving, even managing to grab the masters of mind, metal, and speed as well.

 

He looked around and sighed, seeing several more people trapped, even other elemental masters off in the distance, but he couldn't get all of them. He could barely carry the people he had as is on his back and in his paws. Crystals were already covering his wings, legs, and tail, soon he'd join them.

 

The swirling portal that got him in was quickly closing, and he pumped his wings as fast as he could despite the crystals slowing him down. He stopped in front of the portal. "GO! ALL OF YOU!"

 

Everyone went through one by one, and just as he was about to, he was suddenly yanked back. He yelped and turned his head to see several glowing tendrils wrapped around his legs and wings, all of them coming from a man in red and purple robes.

 

The man laughed and held Pythor tight even as he attempted to tear free. Pythor felt himself starting to nod off, but shook himself awake again and beat his wings as much as he could, pushing him towards the man. The tendrils loosened from the lack of slack, and Pythor whipped his head around and opened his maw.

 

Several crunches could be heard as he flew to the portal. his fangs tore Clouse's body apart, ripping his muscles and tissue, and he swallowed before he transformed back right as he went through.

 

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Pythor leaned back in a chair as he held his hands tightly together. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up to see Erik smiling at him underneath his fedora.

 

"Thanks man." He said and smiled back.

 

“Woah, you got blood all over your mouth, are you okay?" Erik asked.

 

"Oh… yeah… I uhhh, I bit my tongue." Pythor said and wiped Clouse's blood off of his mouth, then saw Clancee hobbling over as he leaned on the desks. "You need some help?"

 

"No, I got it."

 

"You know, I really don't think you should be moving. You could be hurt more than what I can see."

 

"I'll be fine. Nadakhan healed me enough just so he could beat me again." He said and frowned as he sat down. "It just sucks that I can't w-walk anywhere now without my peg-leg."

 

"Want me to make you a new one?"

 

"Yeah, that would be nice. Thanks." Clancee said, and Pythor went around the office, gathering as much wood as he could find.

 

"Hey, Pythor?" Cole said as he came up to him transmuting pencils and picture frames into a leg and stump, even using metal staplers to make a joint for the ankle. "Thanks for… getting us out. I guess."

 

"I wish I could have gotten more. The other elemental masters are still in there. Think I could get struck again, go in for another pass?” He asked and gave the leg to Clancee, who attached it to the cuff around his leg.

 

"There will be more time to get the rest." Kai said as he came over. "We have a wedding to stop. I am not going to let my sister marry that jerk."

 

"Without the poison, I calculate that our chance to slow down Nadakhan enough for Jay to make his wish is 6454-to-1."

 

“Karlof thanks metal man for vote of confidence.”

 

"Well, it's a good thing we do have the poison then." Pythor said and reached into his coat pocket. "I still have my poison arrows and the venom I dipped them in."

 

"There's another problem though." Lloyd said. "Nadakhan's magic is what's holding this place up. If he's made to be mortal, it will all come crashing down. Everything beneath it will be crushed."

 

"Even when we win, we lose?" Kai asked.

“Maybe not. Gravis is still trapped in here. Once we take care of Nadakhan I might be able to use gravity to stop the collapse.” Pythor said.

 

"Well, whatever you decide, I sure don't want an all-powerful Djinn calling the shots. You have to take him out if you have the chance." Soto said.

 

"Me neither. I still owe that fucker for what he gave me." Tox said as she cracked her knuckles.

 

“As does Karlof. Friend Ross taken by wicked Djinn. Karlof bring Ross back for his son Drex.”

 

"Alright, here's what's going to happen." Wu said as he came over. "Neuro, Griffin, Karlof, Skylor, and the rest of us will go down to Ninjago to evacuate the crash zones. The rest of you will need to focus on stopping the wedding."

 

“Karlof, I know you want to help, but I'll take care of Nadakhan. Wu and the others will need your strength to rescue anyone when this place comes down.” Pythor said, and Karlof nodded.

 

"I'm going to be staying." Erik said, and Skalidor nodded too.

 

"Clancee, you should come with us." Misako said.

 

"What? No! I can still help."

 

"Clancee, please." Pythor sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. "When I saw you in that cell, I was scared. I don't want you to be hurt even more trying to protect me. I'll be alright. We'll see each other when this is over."

 

Clancee hissed and clenched his fists before they and his frown fell. "Dammit…"

 

“Karlof think Pythor is right. You need medical care right away. Karlof wish he could stay and fight, but people of Fulcrum need Karlof's strength, Neuro's mind, Griffin's speed, and Skylor's copy if they get trapped by debris.”

 

“All I'm hearing is how better you lot are.” Clancee hissed.

 

"I promise I'll be okay. You saved me, now please let me save you." He said with a smile, but Clancee didn't return it. He hated seeing his heartbroken eyes as he left.

 

"Ninja, go!" Jay cheered, and Dareth started to run after them.

 

"Ah-ha, not you, Dareth." Ronin said.

 

"The Brown Ninja will live to fight another day."

 

"Ready to give Nadakhan hell, dad?" Pythor asked with a grin.

 

"I'm right there with you, son." He said with a grin of his own.

 

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Pythor and the others charged up the palace, only to see two large guns being aimed at them. He gasped and grabbed cover behind large pillars as a group of pirates started firing at them nonstop with two large guns. He craned his head out slightly, but flinched as the stone chipped away.

 

"Shit! Those are gatling guns! We can't get past them!"

 

“I can!” Cole yelled and jumped out. The pirates all immediately started aiming at him, but the bullets went straight through him. Soon the guns stopped firing as yells and grunts sounded out. Pythor peeked his head out again as all of the pirates laid crumpled on the ground, chunks of earth scattered about.

 

"Great work!" Jay said as they went inside.

 

Immediately, pirates aimed their guns at them, and some poured water over the floor. Pythor slammed his hand on the ground, making a wall shoot up that they all ducked behind. Skalidor drew a box on the wall, and motioned to the side of it with his gun, and Pythor nodded.

 

Pythor carved a hole in the wall, and the pirates started shooting at it. Skalidor reached around the side of the wall and took out a couple of pirates with his shotgun while Tox seized the distraction and sent a cloud of gas at two more. They stumbled back, groaning and wiping their eyes as they turned watery, only to get knocked over by an invisible Erik. Pythor transmuted a couple of stone fists to blast the last two pirates through the door, reducing it to kindling in the process.

 

"And by the power invested in me, I pronounce you all powerful!"

 

"Jay! Do it!" Cole yelled.

 

"I wish Nadakhan was a hu-"

 

"I wish you were silent!" Nadakhan yelled, and a steel band clamped Jay's mouth shut.

 

"He can wish for himself now!" Zane said.

 

"Thank you for stating the obvious." Kai retorted, gathering fire in his hands.

 

"And I don't have to follow any rules. This feels good. Begone!" Nadakhan gathered a glowing sphere in his hand and threw it at them. Everyone ducked behind chairs, as it blasted a hole in the wall. Nya lunged at him and swung her arm, only for it to be caught in his hand. "Careful, my love. I wish to deal with you later. Sleep."

 

He waved his hand over her, and she gasped as she fell unconscious.

 

"Nya!" Kai yelled.

 

"She's in a deep sleep. The only way to break the spell is by defeating him." Zane said as Jay failed to talk through the metal around his mouth.

 

"I think what Jay's trying to say is we can still do this. It's still eleven-to-one." Lloyd suggested, but Jay shook his head.

 

"Eleven-to-one, huh? I wish I had those odds." Nadakhan said, and clones began filling the room. "Eleven of me to every one of you. When you can't find good help, do it yourself. But let's make this fun, I wish you didn't have your weapons!"

 

Everyone's swords and guns vanished in a cloud of sparks.

 

"We need to stop him!" Cole yelled and shot chunks of earth at the clones. Everyone else followed suit, but only managed to destroy a handful of them as they charged forward, stopping only for a cloud of poison sent out by Tox.

 

"Move!" Erik yelled and started pushing them back through the doors. "We can't fight them here! It's too dangerous!"

 

Jay tried to mumble something, but Kai sighed. "I want to save my sister too. But we're no good to her dead."

 

Everyone ran out of the temple and into the surrounding forest with the clones in hot pursuit. Everyone threw their elements at them and tried to destroy as many as they could.

 

"This way!" Lloyd yelled as Jay destroyed several clones with electricity.

 

"There are too many! It's like we're not even making a dent!" Cole yelled.

 

Suddenly, an anchor flew out of the forest and smashed through a few clones. "Need some help?"

 

"Dogshank?!" Pythor asked as he slashed through more clones with his arm blade, and noticed Flintlocke coming out with her. "You're here too?"

 

"That's right, and we brought a friend." He said as Dogshank punched through clones, and Pythor gasped when he saw Clancee hobbling through the trees.

 

"Clancee?! What in the underworld are you doing here! I told you to leave!" Pythor snapped his right hand towards some of the clones, the explosion making them vanish into nothingness.

 

"I couldn't just leave you! You're my brother!" He yelled as he shot the clones with a handgun. Pythor smiled, only to get shoved down by Tox.

 

"Save the feely stuff for later!" She yelled as she destroyed more clones.

 

Jay made a muffled scream behind the metal band, and Pythor hurried over to him and put a hand on it, snapping it with a spark.

 

"WE CAN USE THE MISFORTUNE'S KEEP!" He yelled. "Fangtom and I can use our venom to transform it!"

 

"Are you sure you have enough? That thing is pretty big." Kai asked.

 

"I brought extra!" Fangtom said.

 

"Let's move!" Lloyd agreed, and everyone followed after him.

 

Pythor stayed behind and transformed, blocking off the djinn from the group. He took a deep breath and let out an enormous jet of fire, enveloping most of the clones and trees in the blue flames.

 

"Holy moly…" Flintlocke gasped at the sight of the burning forest in front of him. "Glad we're on the same side now."

 

"Anyone who can't fly, climb on." He ordered, pausing to burn any surviving clones he saw. Skalidor, Fangtom, and Clancee climbed on, while Arcturus transformed into a dragon as well, Flintlocke and Dogshank joining him.

 

Pythor took off and flew up to the Misfortune's Keep with Arcturus, while the ninja used airjitzu and the masters of light and poison used their elemental dragons to fly up. They made quick work of the handful of pirates on board and gathered together, Fangtom passing out vials of venom to everyone.

 

"I just had an idea." Pythor said as he perched on the deck of the ship. "Tox, you can use your element to create poisons right? I assume you can do venom as well?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Do you think you could create fangpyre venom to help take over the ship?"

 

"Great idea, Pythor!" Arcturus said.

 

"I can try." She said, and went off with Fangtom while Jay went to the bow. Both of them bit into the ship, a green mist spreading along the planks and metal as it slowly enveloped the entire ship. Tox put her hand in the mist, and a green glow came out of it, the venom now quickly spreading to the rest.

 

A green pulse came from the ship as it transformed into a snake-like flying fortress with metallic scales covering almost the entirety of the ship. The bow held a snakehead with a minigun in it, the wings became segmented and ornamented with guns and cannons of its own, and a tail erupted from the back, flanked by two other gun emplacements on the stern.

 

"Alright! Now we're cooking!" Cole cheered as he looked around the airship.

 

"But what about my sister? We don't know what Nadakhan is doing to her. How are we going to save her?" Kai asked.

 

"We need to poison Nadakhan with the venom. Once we do that, Nya will wake up." Jay said.

 

"But he's probably still inside the temple with her, how are we even supposed to get the venom to him? With his unlimited wishes, we don't stand a chance fighting him."

 

"We need to lure him outside. Once he is, we can shoot him with a dart filled with it." Pythor suggested.

 

"Great idea. Zane, Arcturus, look through the ship to see if you can find any empty darts we can use. Also look for dart guns." Jay said, and the two went off to look. He then turned to Flintlocke. "I think you should take the shot."

 

"Me?! I can't even hit water in an ocean right now." He scoffed.

 

"Only according to Nadakhan, but he never held the real power. We did. if there's anything I learned, it's that wishing for something won't make it come true. We all tried to get something from Nadakhan, and look what happened."

 

"It only made him stronger." Lloyd replied.

 

"Right. But if we really want something, don't wish it to happen, make it happen. All this time, he could never make these wishes on his own. He needed us to make them come true. Just like when I wished to be rich, he tried to convince me my dad died. But that wasn't my real dad. My real dad lives with my mom, happy in the scrapyard."

 

"Yeah, you're right." Erik agreed.

 

"And how did he manage to capture the greatest ninja this world has ever seen?"

 

"We all wished ourselves away. He's right. It's worth a shot, Flintlocke." Lloyd said.

 

"Definitely. I wished that I could be part of the ninja, and Nadakhan trapped me in some television show. Look at me now though, my friend got me out of that sword, and instead of running away, I decided to help people. I made my dream happen, not Nadakhan. You can do this, Flintlocke." Pythor said, smiling down at him.

 

"If what you're saying is really true, then let's see if I've still got my mojo." Flintlocke said, and took the handgun that Clancee gave him. He aimed it at a bottle and fired, shattering the glass. "Woo-hoo! I'm back in business!"

 

"If you want something bad enough, you can make it happen." Fangtom said as he handed Flintlocke a dart rifle, and Zane gave him an empty dart.

 

"Damn right you can." Pythor said as he gave him the venom.

 

"Just give me a clear shot."

 

"Oh we can take care of that." Jay said and grinned. "Everyone, find a gun or cannon to use. It's time to wake the hornets."

 

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"Come about, mateys!" Jay yelled as they flew towards the temple.

 

"This is the moment of truth." Zane said as small jets flew towards the Keep.

 

"Incoming at 3 o'clock!" Kai yelled. He and Pythor aimed their guns at the pirates. Kai's shots missed, but Pythor aimed his in front of the pirate as it passed, and blew the pirate off the plane in a cloud of red mist. "Lucky shot…"

 

"Hey, I know these guns. I commanded flak towers during the serpentine war. You have to aim ahead of them, let them fly into the path of the bullets.”

 

"Hold them off until we get to the temple!" Cole yelled as he shot down more pirates.

 

"Look, there! And dive! Hold! Hold! Hold the line!" Jay ordered. "Arcturus, Erik, let it rip!"

 

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTT

 

The temple was filled with holes from the minigun at the bow. Windows shattered, and parts of the walls collapsed as bullets tore through them. Cracking and splintering could be heard as part of the roof shifted, and then the entire thing collapsed.

 

"Bullseye!" He cheered. "Alright, ninja, let's go! Pythor, you're with us! Everyone else, pull the ship back and get Flintlocke to a safe shooting position! Protect the Keep with your lives!"

 

Pythor jumped to a rope and slid down to the ground, and slithered up to the courtyard next to the destroyed temple.

 

"Hmmm… looks like someone has a death wish." Nadakhan said as he floated out in front of them.

 

"Sorry for crashing the wedding." Kai said as he stepped forwards. "Give me back my sister."

 

"Step away from him Nya, this guy is about to become french toast." Jay said.

 

"My name is not Nya, it's Delara. And you will pay for your insubordination against my husband." She said, and Pythor noticed her glowing eyes.

 

"What the fuck…?"

 

"He's cast a spell on her, we need to defeat him to free her from it." Zane said and charged his powers in his hand.

 

"You think you can cast me away with my own sword? How little you must think. I wish you gone!" Nadakhan said, and shot bolts of energy at them.

 

Pythor gripped the sword and turned to smoke. He weaved between the bolts of energy and reformed above Nadakhan, stabbing downwards. A clang rang out as he struck his hook. Nadakhan grabbed the sword and tried to yank it away from him.

 

“Gah!” Nadakhan yelled when Pythor spit in his eye. Seizing the chance, he grabbed a gun from Nadakhan's belt and aimed it at his face. The djinn poofed away as Pythor fired it, the anacondrai immediately dissolving into smoke before he could grab the sword again.

 

Pythor formed behind him and swung at him, a groan coming out of the djinn as he was blown back by the sound wave, covering his ears.

 

"Careful, ninja. We don't want to hurt Nya in the process. Just do as we planned." Lloyd said.

 

"I will squash you like bugs." Nadakhan said as he dodged a rock thrown by Cole, which smashed into a statue and caused it to crumble. "And now you have destroyed my works of art. A pity. I suppose you'll make good replacements."

 

“What's wrong? You nothing without these?” Pythor laughed and lifted a statue with gravity, hurling it at the djinn. The djinn's glare brought a smirk to his face. “Awww, did you know them?”

 

"You know, you were a real tough guy when you got each of us alone." Kai said as he threw a fireball at him and destroyed another statue.

 

"But let's see how tough you are when we're together." Zane said and froze Dehlara's feet, then turned to the djinn.

 

"My love! I wish you free!" The ice shattered and he growled at the titanium ninja. "You will pay for that. I wish you still!"

 

A blue/gold ball of energy slammed into Zane, and he was turned into a golden statue.

 

"Zane!" Kai called out, and yelled as he charged at Nadakhan.

 

"I wish you still too!" He dodged a fireball and shot another sphere at Kai, and he tumbled across the ground, frozen as a statue as well. "And so, the end of the ninja has begun."

 

Dehlara laughed, and Pythor hissed as he stabbed the sword into the ground, connecting his shadow to hers. “What… what have you done? I can't move!”

 

Jay leapt up and kicked her hard, sending her slamming into a wall. "Sorry, Nya, but I had to do it." He sighed and gasped. "Pythor!"

 

Pythor whipped around to see a ball of energy flying at him, but suddenly he was tackled to the side by an invisible force and it flew past him.

 

"You okay?" The figure unveiled themselves to be Clancee.

 

"Yeah. You shouldn't be here, you know that?"

 

"Well, someone's gotta save your hide." He said and helped Pythor up.

 

"Guys! A little help her-?" Cole asked, when his voice suddenly stopped. Pythor looked over, and gasped when he saw Cole was lying on the ground as a golden statue, and Jay screamed.

 

"You sick bastard! Bring them back!" He charged lightning in his hands.

 

"Or else what?" He chuckled. "Worry not, you'll soon be joini-" A grunt tore itself out of his mouth as Pythor slammed him into the ground repeatedly with vines, kicking up dirt.

 

"How does it feel, djinn?" Pythor asked as Nadakhan pushed himself off the ground, only to be sent flying by a green ball of energy.

 

"He's hit! We've got him!" Lloyd yelled and charged up another energy sphere.

 

"Lloyd! Get back!" Clancee yelled as Nadakhan jerked his head over to him.

 

Lloyd stopped charging and ducked back behind the column, only for it to be blown apart and collapse on top of him. Pythor's blood turned cold when he heard Lloyd's blood curdling scream, and charged over to him.

 

"Lloyd!"

 

"Pythor! Look out!" Jay yelled, and Pythor cried out when a bolt of energy struck him right in the chest, smashing him into and through another column. He gasped for breath as he crumpled to the ground and dropped the sword. He tried to push himself up, but couldn't even draw a breath.

 

"I think your hide will make a lovely purse for my dear wife." Nadakhan said as he summoned his sword to him.

 

"Stay the hell away from him!" Clancee yelled as he jumped between them and shot at Nadakhan, who used smoke to let the bullets fly through him. Nadakhan slashed his hand and slammed the blade into his face, knocking him to the ground.

 

Pythor backed away from him, and gasped when he found he couldn't move his right arm, the prosthetic being badly damaged with wiring exposed. He looked to the right and saw Lloyd pinned underneath the stone column, blood pooling around his legs.

 

His heart raced as Nadakhan crept even closer and tried to back away from him, only to see him raise his sword. A bolt of lightning hit Nadakhan and nearly made him drop his sword.

 

"Hey! Don't forget about me, you genie!"

 

"That's djinn, you wretched ninja!" He yelled and charged over to him.

 

Pythor didn't waste a second and dashed over to Lloyd, who groaned from underneath the pillar. "Lloyd! Oh god… this isn't good."

 

"Pythor? Fuck… this hurts so much. I think my legs are broken." He said, and Pythor looked around at the ground.

 

"Hold on, I'm going to get this off of you." Pythor pressed his hand to the ground, and two stone hands erupted out of it, lifting the pillar up. Lloyd tried to push himself out, but Pythor wrapped his arm around him and pulled him out. "Don't worry buddy, I'll get you to a hospital."

 

They both heard a loud groan and saw Nadakhan doubled over, holding his stomach as a yellow liquid dripped off of him.

 

The ground started shaking as the islands in the background started to fall. Nadakhan gasped and reached out to them. "Djinjago… no!"

 

Nya stumbled back and shook her head before looking around, her eyes no longer glowing.

 

"Dehlara…" Nadakhan panted, reaching out to her as she backed away from him.

 

The ninja turned back to normal and groaned as they got up.

 

"What happened?" Kai asked and looked at Nadakhan. "The venom! It's working!"

 

"His magic is failing! Jay! Make the wish now!" Cole yelled.

 

"Nadakhan! I wish you were a-"

 

"Jay…" Nya panted, and right on the top of her chest, laid a splotch of venom on her light brown skin.

 

"Nya, the poison hit you too! No… no this can't be happening!" He yelled as he ran and caught her.

 

"Jay! Don't touch it!" Pythor yelled.

 

"It's fatal to humans, but we have no reason to assume that it isn't also fatal to serpentine!" Zane added.

 

"Only one wish, Jay. What a dilemma. Wish me mortal, and she dies. Wish her well...and there is no stopping me." Nadakhan said, his mouth curling up as he tried to hold himself up off the ground, and grabbed his sword.

 

"You have to make your last wish, Jay. You're the only one who can stop him." Nya gasped.

 

"No. Not if that means losing you! Nya… please… don't go! I… I love you."

 

"I love you too, Jay. But I guess it's true. The greatest love stories do always end in tragedy." She gasped again, and her hand fell from Jay's.

 

"No… fuck…" He caught it, tears falling onto their hands. "I wish you had taken my hand, and that no one had ever found that stupid teapot in the first place."

 

Nadakhan gasped and dropped his sword. "Your wish… is yours." He fell to the ground and his pocket watch tumbled out of his pocket, and the hands started spinning backwards.

 

An intense wind suddenly blew towards Pythor, almost lifting him off the ground. He opened his eyes as much as he could against the gusts and saw Clancee stumbling towards him. It looked like the wind was blowing him away from him. "Clancee! What's happening?"

 

"It's Jay's wish! He… he wished that no one… found the teapot Nadakhan was… trapped in! So it's like everything that hap-happened afterwards never happened in the first place!"

 

Pythor's eyes widened. That meant that everything he had been through with Clancee would be erased. He'll have never found him, never bonded with him again!

 

The wind blew even harder as the islands spun away from each other, and he lunged for Clancee, grabbing onto him.

 

"You know, I always wanted a brother…" He said, his eyes wet.

 

Pythor's grip slipped, but before he knew it, he had grabbed Clancee's wrist and pulled him close.

 

"Clancee! Look at me! I am not losing you again! Do you hear me?! I'm coming to your realm, and we'll be with each other again!" Clancee's eyes widened when he said that, and he held tight even as the world around them became a white void, the wind like a hurricane.

 

Pythor focused on his watch and unfastened it with magic, and pushed it into Clancee's other hand with his tail. "Just wait for me, little brother! I'll be there soon! I promise!"

 

"I know you will!" He said, looking him in the eyes right before the wind severed the connection, and the world went white for Pythor.

Chapter 21: A Fresh Start

Summary:

Following Jay's wish, Pythor is sent back to just before Nadakhan and the sky pirates began their attacks and announces his decision to join the ninja. When Jay, Nya, and their dragons pay Pythor a visit, he goes out to dinner with them and informs them of his choice. But first, he decides to make amends with some of those he has hurt.

Edited 7/31/25 to add minor changes to serpentine and non-human culture.

[May 8th, 2016 - 9:00 am]

 

"Woah…" Pythor said and put a hand to his head.

 

"Huh? Are you okay, Pythor?" Maera asked and turned away from the stove only to gasp when she looked at him. "Oh dear! What happened to you?"

 

"Huh? What are you talking about?" He asked, and looked down at his scales, which were still purple. "Oh…"

 

"What happened to your eye? Oh, this looks bad." She asked and put a hand on his snout.

 

"Mum, I'm fine. I can still see out of my right eye, and it's not bleeding." He said as he nudged her away.

 

"I need to go get your father."

 

"Mum, you don't need to…" He started, but she had already left. He sighed and went over to the stove to stir the oatmeal. "Might as well make sure this doesn't burn."

 

About a minute later, Arcturus and Maera slithered inside along with Newt. Arcturus looked at Pythor as he poured oatmeal out of a pot and glazed toast from a pan.

 

"I thought you said he was hurt?"

 

"He is! Look at his right eye!" She hissed, and he gasped when he saw it.

 

"What happened, son? And when did you shed?"

 

"I'm alright, Dad. It's just a cut, I got it… let's see… one… two… about two days ago. I healed it."

 

"'Two days'?! You didn't have it two hours ago!"

 

"Wait, what's the date?"

 

Newt slithered over. "It's May, 8th. Could I look at it?"

 

"Sure." He said, and Newt turned on his phone flashlight and looked at it.

 

"Hmmm… it looks fresh, but I'm not seeing any signs of infection. It's probably too late for stitches, so there will be a scar. It looks fine to me though, he just has to avoid picking at it or reopening it. How did you get this?”

 

“Pirate hook.”

 

“Pythor, this is serious.”

 

"This doesn't make any sense. His scales were still white too, what happened?" Maera asked and put a hand on her head.

 

"Oooooh… shit… that explains it. I've gone back in time." Pythor gasped.

 

"What? Time travel? Pirates? Are you serious, Pythor?" Arcturus asked.

 

"Yeah, don't you remember us fighting Nadakhan together?"

 

"N-Nadakhan? What?" He asked as he shook his head. "No, I don't remember that! Nadakhan hasn't been seen for 200 years!"

 

"No, we were with Jay, and…" Pythor said, and his eyes widened when he remembered being torn away from Clancee. "Why didn't you tell me I had a brother?"

 

"Pythor, I'm right here." Newt said, but Pythor put a hand up.

 

"Not you, my blood brother." He said. "I know about Clancee, dad."

 

Arcturus paled, and Maera turned to look at him.

 

"What is he talking about, hon?"

 

"Aihtiram apparently had a second child, a hybrid with a venomari. That friend I used to tell you about? He's my half-brother. Why didn't you tell me, dad? Why would you hide something like that from me?"

 

"Let's sit down first." Arcturus said and got his breakfast. "I didn't tell you because I was trying to keep him and his family safe. About four/five years after you hatched, Aihtiram got drunk during a visit to a venomari village and raped one. Thankfully he was blackout drunk and didn't remember doing it. I got her out of the village and helped move her to the city where I could better keep an eye on her.”

 

“And where I was able to meet with them and play.”

 

“Yes, and I'm glad you did, you were happy. Things went well for a long while, but word started getting out among the anacondrai that there was a venomari child who was aging very slowly, and could turn into a dragon. And so anacondrai were sent to his house."

 

"They got there before you, didn't they?”

 

"Yes, I was too late. I couldn't get involved without revealing my knowledge of them. Clancee and Ivy were fleeing, and I did my best to slow down our troops and lure them in the wrong direction. I just wish I could have done more."

 

"You did enough. He's alive today thanks to you. I can't believe that for all that time, though, I was actually playing with my brother."

 

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just didn't want anyone to be killed."

 

"I forgive you. I understand why you did it, very much so." Pythor sighed and ate more of his oatmeal.

 

"Alright, I need to get back to studying for my finals. Pythor, get a tetanus shot today if you aren't up to date." Newt said and got up, and everyone said goodbye to him.

 

"Pythor, what happened to you? How did… this happen just now?" Maera asked, gesturing to him.

 

"It's a long story." He said and sighed as he started to recount what happened.

--------

 

"Wow, I can't believe you had to get involved with that”

 

"I know it wasn't entirely by choice, but still." Arcturus said, holding a hand to his head.

 

"Yeah, but dad. I realized something during that time. I loved helping people, protecting them and keeping them safe. I felt like I was part of something greater then." He said and held his hands together. "I want to join the ninja."

 

"Are you sure about that?"

 

"Yes, I am." He said and looked him in the eyes. "I have enjoyed working at the coffee shop, but lately I've felt like I could be doing more in my life. I think this is it."

 

"Oh, I see you're serious about this. What about your probation though? There's no way they'll let you do this."

 

"Yeah, I've thought about that. As soon as you can, I want you to see if you can get me an audience with Skales. I have some things I really want to talk with him about."

 

Arcturus blinked when he saw his expression, and paused for a moment. "O-Okay, I'll see what I can do. It will probably take some time though."

 

"I think you're making the right choice, Pythor." Maera added. "I'm happy that you're looking out for your best interests and what makes you happy as well."

 

"Thanks, mum. I know it's going to be hard, but I feel like this will be worth it. First though, I gotta fix some things here by making apologies to people."

 

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[3 days later]

 

Pythor had coiled his tail around the rafters of the ceiling and was doing curl-ups when he heard knocking at the door.

 

“Huh, wonder who that is?” He dropped himself down and went over to open the front door, where he saw Jay and Nya standing outside. Along with Wisp and Crest. "Oh, hey! It's nice to see you all. Come on in."

 

He went over to Wisp and hugged him tightly. “I'm glad you're alright, buddy.”

 

“Why wouldn't I be?” He chuckled and hugged him back, wrapping his arms around Pythor's back for a few moments.

 

“Sorry, this is the second time I've hugged Wisp before you.” Pythor said and hugged Crest for a brief moment.

 

“Ah, you're alright. I know you love Wisp.” Crest said, making the two of them rub their heads.

 

"It's nice to see you as well, Pythor. When did you shed your scales?" Nya said as they stepped inside.

 

"Huh? What are you talking about?” He said, and what Clancee said clicked for him. “Oh right, you don't remember what happened either?"

 

"Remember what?"

 

"I shed when Nadakhan threw me off of the Misfortune's Keep. You were standing right there."

 

"Hold on, you actually remember that?" Jay asked as they sat down.

 

"Yeah! How could I forget that? I found out I had a brother, fought alongside him and you two against Nadakhan, Wisp got shot protecting me from repo agents. Sorry about that buddy.”

 

“Hey, you're my mate. Of course I'd take a bullet for you.”

 

“I hope it doesn't come to that again…” He gulped. “So, what brings you four all the way down here?"

 

"I wanted to see my parents and take them out to dinner. I managed to convince Sensei Wu to let me, and Nya wanted to come with me. I figured since we have the night, we could see you as well."

 

"I wish it wasn't something you had to convince him of." Pythor said and pulled a chair over with his tail. "So, does anyone else remember what happened?"

 

"No, not really. Some people like Lloyd have felt a sense of deja vu, but they haven't chalked it up to anything. We'd like to keep this low-key, if you don't mind." Crest said.

 

"How come?"

 

"There are some people that I'm worried about that are going through some hard things right now, and if they found out about a wish-granting djinn, then they might try and seek him out. I don't know how long my wish will last, or if it means that no one will ever find the teapot, so we'd rather not risk it." Jay said.

 

"Yeah… I'd really rather not let that get out." Nya said and looked out the window.

 

"I understand. I'll try to keep this a secret." Pythor said as he got up and went over to the fridge. "Are either of you hungry?"

 

"Nah, we're going to be heading to the Birch park in town later. There's going to be live music at the food stand and ice cream as well. Thanks anyways though." Nya answered. "How have you been handling things?"

 

"I've been doing fine I guess. Just got a shower not too long ago." He said and ate some yogurt. "I'm also going to see Skales soon, hopefully."

 

"What about?"

 

"Probation, some things he said to me the last time we saw each other, personal stuff."

 

"Ah, alright." Nya said, and the conversation trailed off for a moment before Jay spoke up.

 

"Hey, would you like to come with us and get some dinner?"

 

Pythor froze for a moment as he thought of where the park was. "Isn't that place near Wojira Lake?"

 

"Yeah, it is."

 

"I-I don't know then. I don't like large bodies of water."

 

"Are you sure you don't want to go?" Nya asked as she came over. "The food there is really good, and the lake is so pretty around sunset with all the trees and Mount Quetzalcoatl in the background."

 

"I'm sure it is but… fuck… I don't know. I am getting pretty hungry, but…" He sighed and leaned against the counter. Nya looked out the window for a moment and leaned next to him.

 

"I think you should come with us. I know you don't like the idea of being next to a large lake, but I think you'll like the music, and I want to see if I can help you overcome your fear of water."

 

"I…" He said and sighed. "A-Alright… let me see if I can get Newt and Val to come."

 

Pythor went inside the main house and stopped by Val in the living room, then went to the office door to knock on it.

 

"What is it?"

 

"Can I come in?"

 

He heard a sigh and the door was unlocked as Newt went back over to his computer, the desk it was on being covered in papers and textbooks. "What do you need that you had to come in here for?"

 

"I wanted to ask you if you would like to come to Birch Park for dinner. Val is joining us.”

 

"Pythor, I can't. I have three big final exams that I need to complete by Sunday. I'll warm something up from the freezer later."

 

Pythor paused and watched as Newt flipped through a slideshow, occasionally writing something on a piece of paper. After several moments of this, he sighed and put his hand on the mouse.

 

"Newt, I think you need to take a break."

 

"I already have, now can you please let go?" He asked and looked up at him. Pythor could tell his eyes looked dry.

 

"I mean one that isn't going to the bathroom or eating a meal. You've been holed up in here for the past 8 hours, and you've been like this for the past week. I'm worried about you, Newt."

 

Newt sighed and put a hand on his head. "You should be more worried about my grades. I mean, I'm doing great, but if I don't keep up on it, I could fail the classes. Some are only offered during specific semesters, if I fail these, I won't be able to graduate next spring."

 

"You're my little brother. You're what I'm worried about." Pythor said and hugged him. "I want you to be healthy, and straining your eyes by staring at a screen for hours on end and not allowing your mind to rest so it can process what you're studying isn't going to help."

 

Newt didn't say anything. Pythor just heard his breathing shake as he felt Newt hug him tighter. Pythor smiled and rubbed his scales. "Come with us, little bro. Get some food, enjoy the music. I know how smart you are. You'll pass these exams with flying colors, and taking a break won't change that."

 

"Okay." Newt pulled back and wiped his wet eyes before he saved some things on the computer and turned it off.

 

They slithered outside and Pythor hurried over to Wisp, who had already transformed and laid down for him. Jay chose to ride with Nya on Crest, and he could tell by the smirk on his face that he was letting him have Wisp to himself.

 

Pythor rubbed Wisp's scales and patted his back, and Wisp unfolded his wings and then took off towards the park.

 

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"Woah, this place looks amazing!" Newt said as he looked around at the sizable crowd in the park.

 

Humans, serpentine, dragons, and anthros were sitting all around at various picnic tables and on blankets in the grass, happily eating or enjoying each other's bodies. The air was a little warm, but nothing too uncomfortable. There were even birds flying around and chirping, some picking at food that people dropped around the tables.

 

Pythor would have thought it was the perfect picturesque setting, if he wasn't busy shaking at the sight of the massive lake behind the food stand.

 

"Pythor?"

 

"Huh?" He turned to Jay.

 

"What would you like to eat?"

 

"Oh, uhhhh… I don't know what they have. I've never been here before." He said.

 

"Well, we can go look, sometimes their menu changes depending on what they have."

 

"Ummm, I think I'll stay here. Maybe you could go and text me a picture?"

 

"I don't have your phone number."

 

Pythor opened his mouth, but looked over at the long line for the food stand. He checked the time on the phone and saw that it was about 6:20, almost 90 minutes before he needed to be back home

 

"We'll stay with you, Pythor. You won't have to worry about water with me around. I've unlocked my true potential, plus you have a water dragon here." Nya said and put a hand on his shoulder.

 

"O-Okay… let's go." He said and got in line with them.

 

The line moved slowly, too slowly, and he kept looking between the food counter, the lake, and his watch. After about 12 minutes or so, they were finally at the counter and placed their orders.

 

"I'll go get us a table." Newt said and left.

 

"So, Pythor, you said you wanted to join the ninja right?" Jay asked as they waited for their food. "When would you like to start?"

 

"Hopefully soon. I want to get this stuff with my probation taken care of first and get some answers though. I'd rather not have any of our homes get raided again."

 

"Raided?" Wisp growled.

 

"Newt and I can tell you in a moment." He said when he saw someone bringing their food. They took it back to a table in the shade that Newt had found and sat down. “Val, can you tell everyone what happened to your house?”

 

"Last week, police officers came to my house at 8 am without warning and made a mess of it." Valory said. "I am not kidding when I say that. They opened up every cabinet, closet, and drawer and threw things on the floor, broke some plates and glasses, cabinets, and then they just left the stuff there."

 

"They did the same thing in the treehouse. Took the tv off the wall and 'accidentally dropped it', left the mattress sitting on the floor, they just upturned everything." Pythor added. "It looked like a burglary. It took us all day to clean the place up, and I had to take off the next day to fix things. I'm just thankful Alexis paid me for my time off."

 

“That is fucking wrong.” Crest said.

 

“You didn't deserve that, buddy. I know how much you love that treehouse.” Wisp said, putting a hand on his shoulder, making Pythor smile at him. “You two didn't either.

 

"That sounds a lot like harassment and vandalism to me." Jay said. "What were they looking for?

 

"They were searching for alcohol, guns, drugs, and blades, and they said they didn't need a warrant because it was a reasonable search. They took my computer." Newt said.

 

"You got it back right?" Jay asked.

 

"Nope. I had to borrow a computer from my parents to do my assignments on. Thankfully I had everything backed up on a spare hard drive and memory card, and I had my assignments saved on a usb drive that I hid with them."

 

"They didn't find it after all that destruction? How?" Nya asked. Newt leaned over and whispered in their ears. "Oh, you have those ? That is awesome!"

 

"We're sorry you still had to go through that though." Jay said. "We understand why you want to get that taken care of first."

 

"Yeah, but I still don't know how I'll be a ninja if I'm so afraid of water and loud noises."

 

"About that, could you come with me?" Nya asked.

 

"Come where?"

 

"Over to the water. You want to overcome this fear, right?"

 

"Yeah, but… not like… do we have to?" He asked and looked at the table as he held his hands together.

 

"Nya, I don't think dragging a reluctant person over to a big trigger for their fears is the right way to go about this. I think you have to gradually work up to that." Jay said.

 

"Yeah, I guess this isn't the best way. Maybe we can do it here." She said. "Why don't we go over to this deck with Crest, Pythor?"

 

Pythor opened his mouth again, but took a deep breath and got up with her. She led him over to the edge of the concrete pad and stopped at the railing, and motioned him over once she saw that he had stopped several meters back. As soon as he managed to come over, he gripped the railing tightly.

 

"I promised I'd keep you safe, Pythor, and Crest here will as well." She said as the water dragon stood next to them.

 

“Plus, I will too.” Wisp said after coming over and putting his hand on Pythor's.

 

Pythor smiled at him and nodded, forgetting about the lake for the moment. He craned his head over and took Wisp into a kiss, and almost melted when Wisp cradled his head. He pulled away, slightly panting. “I love you so much, Wisp.”

 

"Look out there, Pythor, and tell me what you see." Nya said, and pointed out at the lake.

 

"Ummm… I… I see a massive pool of water. One that… really unnerves me." He said after swallowing.

 

"Are you sure? Because I see more than that. I see those glaciers up there on Mt. Quetzalcoatl, and I see the mountain that they flow down. The water from the melting glaciers drains down here and fills this lake, then it drains out through the Varro and Rona creeks." She said. "These trees around here also take up the water into them, and release it into the air."

 

"I know how the water cycle works, Nya. It's not water that I'm afraid of, but the vastness of it. I'm scared of what can happen on it, and the things that are underneath it. I know it's stupid but…"

 

"It's not really stupid." Nya said. "It is true that a lot of scary things can happen on the ocean, but it's also true that the oceans and lakes can hold so much wonder in them. These bodies of water are part of why we are alive today. They lead to rain and the growth of crops, we get fish from them, and if it weren't for them, we wouldn't have any water to drink."

 

"Water dragons like myself often live near water, such as along the ocean, lakes such as this, or marshy swamps. It gives us easy access to water for our elemental powers, food, and water to drink." Crest said.

 

"You drink from the ocean ?" Pythor asked.

 

"Yeah, I just pull the water away from the salt."

 

"Huh."

 

Pythor looked out at the lake, the trees, and the glacier, and sighed when he still noticed how tense he was. "I'm sorry, everyone. But… I'm still scared of it."

 

"Oh, I wasn't expecting you to overcome this phobia right away. Stuff like this isn't a one-and-done deal." Nya said and turned to him. "Don't worry, I'll do my research and help you work to overcome this."

 

"Thanks, and I'll try to apply what I've been taught about CBT as well." He said and turned to put a hand on Crest's shoulder. "And thanks to you for being here as well, you really helped keep me calm."

 

Crest smiled and nodded, and followed him with Nya back over to the table they were at.

 

“Thanks for inviting me here you two, I really needed this after that stuff with the pirates and what my probation office is doing.”

 

“Speaking of which, are you ready to go?" Newt asked.

 

"Sadly, yes. I just checked the time. It's 7:25."

 

"Shit, yeah, we better go.” Valory said. “Well, it was nice seeing you, Jay, and meeting you too, Nya."

 

"Nice to meet you too, good luck with college." She said and waved goodbye as he and Newt turned into their dragon forms, with Valory climbing on Newt.

 

"I hope to see you four soon!" Pythor said as they took off.

 

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He kept his eyes on his enlarged watch nearly the entire flight back, watching the minutes tick ever closer to 7:50, and pumped his wings even faster. It wasn't long before they saw their house and the treehouse come into view. He touched down in the grass, skidding and leaving lines in the grass meters long. Pythor checked the time to see that it was 7:48.

 

"Phew, that was close." He sighed and transformed.

 

"Yeah. You really think they're cutting the time short that much?" Newt asked as he did the same.

 

"I'd rather not risk it. I don't want to be served a subpoena because the PO has whatever is monitoring me set 10 minutes ahead. Oh, Sorry about the grass, Val.”

 

“It's okay, you can fix it in the morning.”

 

"Alright, well, I'm going to head inside and watch some tv. Feel free to join me if you want." Newt said.

 

“You're not going back to studying?” Pythor asked. 

 

“Nope. It can wait until the morning.” Newt smiled at him and patted the couch next to him. "Tonight was really, really nice, Pythor. I don't think I thought about my studies at all when I went out. Normally it's constantly on my mind, but tonight… it wasn't."

 

“Awww, that's amazing!” Valory said and gave him a big hug.

 

"How do you feel?" He asked as he took the remote Newt gave him and picked something to watch.

 

"A lot better now. Thanks for convincing me to go out. The music and the food were so good. Those are some of the best chicken tenders and fries that I have ever had. It’s just a shame that we had to leave in such a hurry."

 

"I'm glad you came with me. I wouldn't like to imagine you sitting here hunched over the computer while picking at a tv dinner."

 

“Me neither, sweetie.” Val said. “We should do this more often.”

 

"Yeah, I know. It's just that my classes have been getting really hard lately since I'm nearing the end of my term. I wish that Quetzalcoatl had had its college set up by the time that I started my bachelor's degree."

 

"Yeah, that would have been nice. I'm kind of wishing I had gone to college too."

 

"Well, I think you're doing really great for what you've learned on your own over the years. I don't know if I could have learned stuff about technology as quickly as you did if I was cut off from the world for about 40 years."

 

"Well, I still had to study stuff myself. I was constantly learning about computers, the internet, programming, etc. Sunup to sundown I was doing that stuff, sometimes even late into the night. Revenge and terrorism actually call for a lot of studying, surprisingly." Pythor said and smiled. "Maybe now I can do some good with it though."

 

"Hey, I have no doubt that you will. With what you've told me about your fight against Nadakhan and his sky pirates, I'm sure that you're going to do great."

 

"Thanks, bro. You two want some ice cream?"

 

"Sure. Thanks."

 

“Sounds lovely.”

 

Pythor got up and scooped out some ice cream for them both and added whipped cream, sprinkles, and hot fudge to it.

 

"You know, Newt, I'm really proud of you."

 

"Howso?" He asked as he took his ice cream.

 

"When I was first put in the anacondrai tomb, I nearly died of alcohol withdrawal. If I hadn't been kept calm and still by the other anacondrai in there, I probably would have died. I got in touch with them a while ago, and some of them became doctors. Knowing that you're going to be among them, doing what they do and looking after people and making sure that they stay healthy, it's really great. I think you're a very knowledgeable and compassionate person, and you just have this energy about you that spreads to other people. I know it may seem hard right now, but I have no doubt in my mind that you're going to pass at the top of your class with flying colors."

 

"That really means a lot to me, Pythor, it really does. Thank you." Newt said and reached over to hug Pythor tightly.

 

"You're going to be an amazing doctor, Newt. I just know it."

 

"When I graduate medical school, I would love for you to be the one to put my long white coat on."

 

"Really? What about dad?"

 

"I want it to be you. You're the best brother anyone could ask for. I love you, bro."

 

"Alright, I'll do it. I love you too."

 

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[May 15th, 10:20 am]

 

"Alright… here goes." Pythor said as he slithered out of a train car.

 

About 15 minutes later, he saw a large Victorian style house surrounded by a tall metal fence. Just in front of and off to the side of the house was a gate with a small building in front of it. A couple of hypnobrai wearing security uniforms stood in front of the gate, and he approached them with a wave.

 

"Ummm… hello. My name is Pythor Acryla. I'm here for my audience with Princess Spira and Prince Joshua at 11:00 am."

 

"Yes, we know who you are. We've been expecting you. Right this way please."

 

Pythor was led into the building and asked to empty his pockets and remove his jacket, all of which he did. He then stepped through a metal detector and a door frame with glowing purple lights, which he knew to be anacondrai antivenom.

 

He was cleared after being patted down and was escorted into the estate. He was led down a few hallways and to a door, which the guards knocked on. The door opened to a common room, where a powder blue and light gray hypnobrai sat drinking tea, and a yellow one sat next to her. Both of them stopped when Pythor came in, and the first thing he noticed was that Spira's eyes were a very pale red, the rings in them were hardly visible.

 

He realized he was staring and immediately bowed to them. "Ummm… he-hello… P-Princess Spira and prince J-J-Joshua."

 

"Hello, Pythor. Come, have a seat." Joshua instructed, and Pythor froze briefly at the overly friendly tone in his voice before doing so. "So, you said you wanted to come here to apologize, is that correct?"

 

He briefly thought about reminding them of the letter he sent asking to, but decided that could sound too sarcastic. "Yes."

 

"Well, that's awfully sweet of you. What are you really here for?" Pythor tensed up again when he heard that. What was he supposed to say? Spira hadn't even spoken a word thus far. What did she think of all this?

 

He had to say something.

 

"I wasn't lying when I said that I wanted to apologize for the harm that I have caused." He said as he decided to speak to them and not the floor. "I know what I did to you and Princess Spira here. Skalidor told me, as did King Narcole. I could have just apologized in the letter and left it at that, but I wanted to see for myself."

 

"Well, now you know." Spira said as she looked in his direction. "I can only see light and darkness. I don't even know what my children look like."

 

"That was something that Skalidor mentioned. He told me that you had been wanting them for so long, and when you had them, I… I took away your sight."

 

"Yes, you did. You hurt me, you hurt my husband, my brothers, my parents, and even my children. They don't know that I can't see them, so when they're reaching out for something, or want me to hold them, I won't know unless Josh tells me or they're touching me."

 

"I was told that hurting people is all I do, all I'll ever do. I'm…" He said and looked at his right arm, and took a deep breath as he clenched his hand. "I'm trying to change that. I don't know what it's like to be unable to see anymore, but I know what it's like to have something be taken from you. I suffered my own disfiguring injury."

 

" Really ?" Joshua said. Pythor hissed and ripped the glove on his right hand off, and yanked his arm out of the jacket sleeve. "Oh…"

 

"Yeah. Really. " Pythor scoffed.

 

"What is it?" Spira asked as she looked towards her husband.

 

"Well… he's… he's got a…"

 

"I lost most of my right arm in the Second Serpentine War. It was cut off when I was saving Lloyd Garmadon from being killed." Pythor explained and leaned back into his chair. "I guess you could call it karma or something. Either way, it did hurt me. I was forced to deal with not having my dominant arm for four months and the looks, coddling, and stigma that came with it. I still don't show this prosthesis out in public."

 

Spira and Joshua were silent for several moments as they looked at the floor. Pythor sighed as he put his jacket and glove back on.

 

"Princess Spira, Prince Joshua, I want to apologize to you. I am deeply, deeply sorry for the pain and trauma that I have caused you. There is nothing that I can say or do that will change the past. I was a very spiteful and vengeful person two years ago, and I am ashamed of the actions that I have taken in the past. I hope you can forgive me."

 

Spira sighed and clasped her hands together. "Pythor, I'll admit that when I heard what you wrote in that letter you sent us, that I thought you were just wanting to visit us so that you could make yourself feel better, and that you didn't really care about us. You haven't done that though. You're taking responsibility, and I think I speak for both of us when I say that we're proud of you for doing that."

 

"Yeah, and I also think I speak for both of us when I say that we forgive you for what you did." Joshua added as he looked to his wife, who nodded.

 

"Thank you, both of you. I really appreciate that." Pythor said after letting out a breath that he had been holding.

 

"You're meeting with my brother on Wednesday, correct? How are you planning for that?"

 

"Honestly, I don't know what I'm going to say. We have a lot to talk about, so I guess I won't know until I'm there." Pythor smiled as he looked out the window. "But thanks to this visit, I think I know what I'm going to say to Salome."

 

"Is she your girlfriend?" Joshua asked.

 

"She was, but I'm hoping that after I talk to her, she'll take me back."

 

"Well, good luck I guess." He said as Pythor got up.

 

"Thanks for having me here." Pythor said and shook his hand as he got up.

 

"You're welcome. Spira, Pythor would like to shake your hand." He said, and she smiled as she held hers out, which Pythor grabbed and shook.

 

"Have a nice day, Pythor."

 

"You too." He said, and slithered out the door with a big smile on his face.

 

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[Later that evening]

 

Pythor sat under a large gazebo and adjusted his raincoat as the rain poured down around him. He watched as the pool of water around the large fountain in front of him rippled with every raindrop that hit it and bounced off. He had just checked the time when he heard a voice to the side.

 

"Hello, Pythor."

 

He turned to see Salome walking under the pavilion and retracted her umbrella.

 

"I was worried you weren't going to come."

 

"Well, I would have called you if I wasn't. How have you been doing? You look like you got really hurt."

 

"Oh, this?" He asked and pointed to his scar. "I got this a little while ago. I guess I've been doing alright lately. I went on an adventure with the ninja recently, went to a park with Jay, Nya, and my brother for dinner, and I met with Prince Joshua and Princess Spira to make amends."

 

"Sounds like you've been doing quite a bit. I'll admit I was worried about you. When I heard that you had been in the hospital, I wanted to visit you, but you said you didn't want to see me. Then you called a little while ago saying you were trying to figure things out with yourself.”

 

"I'm sorry I worried you, but I did need to figure some things out, and I hadn't done that until recently. That, and I was still ashamed of how I treated you, which is why I wanted to meet with you here."

 

Pythor sighed and looked at the water in the fountain before looking back at her.

 

"You were right about me. I was being clingy and obsessive over you, and I wasn't even thinking of your own wants and needs. You had just been forced to put a horse that you knew for a long time to sleep, and I didn't even care, I just woke you up and started yelling at you."

 

"Pythor, I know I had to do something hard, but that still wasn't any excuse to get so upset at you like that. You had been dealing with hard things yourself, and you just wanted to see me."

 

He just chuckled and put his arms on his lap. "Yes, it was an excuse. You had been repeatedly telling me that you just wanted time to yourself alone, and I wouldn't give it to you. Every time something hard happened to me, I'd run to you so you could comfort me. Every time you gave off the impression that I was annoying you, I'd lean into you that much more to try and make you feel better. I just couldn't take the hint."

 

Salome came over and sat down next to him, and put one of her hands on his as she looked at his face.

 

"I know this might come off as an excuse, but… you deserve an explanation for why I was acting the way I was towards you." He said and sighed. "I… have borderline personality disorder, and my therapist believes I meet the criteria for PTSD.”

 

"I don't think I know what borderline personality disorder is."

 

"It's a disorder that means I have trouble regulating my emotions. I have limited impulse control, badly fear rejection, and suicidal thoughts for instance." Her eyes widened at that and he rubbed his head. "That last one is why I was in the hospital. I tried to kill myself."

 

"Oh, Pythor, I'm so sorry."

 

"Here, I copied these papers my therapist gave me so that you could understand what I have." He said as he pulled some out of his backpack and handed them to her. "Anyways, you don't have to be sorry. I've always known that I've had a problem with my emotions. I just thought I could fix them, but really I was just hiding from them and putting them off."

 

He took her hand and gently clasped his hands around hers.

 

"Salome, I really messed up earlier. I shouldn't have gotten so upset at you for not coming to dinner, especially without having all the facts. I am so, so sorry for acting how I did towards you. I really, really love you, and I want to fix things between us. Will you give me a second chance and let me be your boyfriend again?"

 

She looked at his face for a few moments and smiled as she pulled him into a hug and pressed her chin to his shoulder.

 

"I love you too, Pythor. I forgive you." She pulled back and held his chin, and he felt his heart warm when she kissed his cheek.

 

"That therapist I’ve met with? She has really helped me understand my condition and my trauma from the serpentine war. Plus she's given me advice such as some of the stuff that I have just shown you." He said as he smiled back at her. "I can't say that I won't get clingy again, but I'm going to do my best to ensure that it doesn't happen again, or at the very least that it isn't as severe."

 

"I know you will. I believe you. You're really nice like that."

 

"I love you Salome." He said and hugged her again.

 

Her breathing next to him was like music to his ears. He was finally able to hold her like this again. He was not going to fuck this up again. He swore on it.

 

"Could we… go on a date again? In like two or three days, we just order pizza and watch a movie at my house?" He asked.

 

"Yeah, that sounds good to me."

 

Chapter 22: The Challenge

Summary:

Following up on his efforts to reform, Pythor approaches King Skales and Queen Selma Narcole to put Skales in his place. Following this, he joins his family for a more relaxing birthday party for his nephew, until he discovers a secret folder in his belongings once he gets home, one that will put him in the crosshairs of the royal lotus family.

[Putting this here at the start because apparently there's a character limit on the summary.

If parts of this chapter seem odd, I've been making some edits to the previous chapters. Raven is more sentient and can communicate (I added him to the sex in 14, if you want to take another look at that). Serpentine are also bottomless or just go around without clothes, even in public. I've been talking with some friends of mine, and we have agreed that the serpentine wouldn't be ashamed of their bodies, and likely wouldn't see the point of clothes unless they like the fashion or they are in formal situations. They are also okay with expressing their love physically in public, which I personally find hot.

Don't worry, I do not involve children in any of those lewd situations. Minors are still minors. I had Pythor explain this very thoroughly when I edited chapter 15. I do not mention minors not wearing clothes, I do not mention bathing suit areas, I do not write them "playing with themselves" or even mention this, and while they are aware of what sex is and are sometimes around it, they WILL. NOT. TAKE. PART. They are educated very thoroughly on the risks and the dangers, as well as why the ADULTS do it. Children are not allowed to participate in it, adults are not allowed to involve them in it.

I understand if I will lose some or even most of you by writing this. I was just thinking about how the serpentine in season 1 and in most of their appearances (except Skales Jr. in season 7, the pyro vipers in 11, Aspheera, and Pythor in most of his later ones) are actually walking around naked, and I thought about the implications of this and why they do it. I figured it's probably normal for them, and if they need to carry things like papers, phones, gum, etc, they either wear vests, hip/shoulder bags, a backpack, or some clothes.

I mean, could you imagine if nagas like Fangtom wore pants or a pant leg? They'd probably get frayed from all the slithering they do.

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[May 18th, 2016 - 10:30 am]

 

Pythor landed in a large park in Quetzalcoatl City and changed back into a serpentine. He sighed and opened a portal, pulling out a white dress shirt, a black tie and blazer, and a black dress tube.

 

"Ugh, I hate having to dress up like this." He said as he put on the dress shirt and fumbled with the tie. "Knew I should have gone with a clip-on. This is what 50 years of not practicing a tie gets you. Oh fuck it… this will have to do."

 

He pulled on the dress tube pant and slid the belt through the loops, then hurried off towards the giant palace at the center of the city. After going through another and even more extensive security check than he had with Princess Spira, including having vengestone attached to him, Pythor was led to a throne room.

 

A few minutes later, royal guards entered the room and stood in front of the two thrones, and following them were Skales and his wife, Selma. They sat down at their thrones, and Pythor bowed to them.

 

"Greetings, your majesties."

 

"Hello, Pythor Acryla." Selma said.

 

"So, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" Skales asked. Pythor felt a slight shiver run down his spine at the fire burning behind his red eyes, but he refused to back down.

 

"I came here for two or three things. Why don't we address the most important thing first? I demand that you stop holding my father over my head and using him to keep me in check."

 

"You're demanding something of a king ?" He scoffed as he sat up straight and glared at him. "We invite you into our palace and this is the respect you show your king?!"

 

"My sincerest apologies, your highness , but I save my respect for those who have earned it, not for cruel kings who tell their own citizens to take their own lives when they are trying to apologize!"

 

"What?" Selma asked as she looked at Skales. "What is he talking about?"

 

"Ummmm…" He stammered as the fire in his eyes dimmed, and he glanced over at his wife.

 

"Don't lie to her, Skales! I still remember every single word you said to me in Metalonia! We went there because we thought our ancestor was going to die, and when you left, I came out to apologize to you, but you said you didn't want it. I met with your sister earlier this week, and she forgave me! Why can't you?!"

 

Pythor looked down at the floor, clenched his fists, and closed his eyes as he tried and failed to steady his breathing.

 

"You told me I'd be dead if it weren't for my father, and you wished that I had died in the stomach of the devourer. You even went so far as to tell me to go and die." He heard Selma gasp, and he hissed as he glared up at him with teary eyes. "Well guess what, you royal bastard ? I LISTENED! MY DAD, MATE, AND BROTHER HAD TO PULL MY DYING BODY OUT OF A CO FILLED CAR BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU AND FANGTOM SAID TO ME!”

 

Skales was gripping the armrests of his throne tightly by this point, and was making an effort to avoid looking over at his wife.

 

"Pythor, you've hurt me and my family so much. You tried to kill me, you blinded my sist-"

 

"I already told you I was extremely sorry for that! Like I said, she forgave me! What about you?! What about how you hurt me and my family? You told my dad that if I committed any crime, that he would go to jail too because he is the reason I'm out. Where is the justice in that?! And what kind of king tells his own citizens they should go and kill themselves?!"

 

He slithered forward and put a hand on his chest as he looked at them. "I am so, so sorry about how I have hurt you and your family. I truly am. But you will not use my father as leverage against me. You have a problem with me, challenge me to a slither pit. I don't give a fuck, but leave him out of this."

 

Skales stammered and opened his mouth several times, but Pythor hissed and turned around.

 

"I… I can't do this anymore. I need to go." He said and wiped his eyes as he slithered out of the room.

 

As Pythor slithered down the halls, he sniffed and held himself tightly, then slapped himself in the face. "Son of a bitch, I forgot to ask about the probation. Alright, Pythor, think, where are the exits again?"

 

"Hey! Pythor! Pythor, wait up!" He looked behind him and saw Selma running up to him, panting slightly. "Phew, I finally caught up to you."

 

"Queen Selma?" He asked, but she held up her hand.

 

"You can call me Selma, I don't care. Pythor, did… did my husband really tell you to…?"

 

"Kill myself? Yes, he did. It happened outside the hospital, right when we were both worried that our great-great-grandmother/aunt was going to pass away. It still hurts to think about it."

 

"Do you want to talk? I won't force you to deal with all the royal bs. We can just sit down with a cup of tea and talk."

 

"What about your guards?" He asked, and she smiled.

 

"Will I need them?" She asked.

 

He sighed with a smile and shook his head. "Lead the way."

 

She led him to a small office with a kitchenette and brewed some tea for them, and then they sat down in some comfortable chairs, with Pythor sighing once they did.

 

"You have a really nice place here. It almost looks exactly like how I remember it, but… nicer."

 

"Thanks, we tried to remodel it based on the historical documents. Let's just say humans have changed a lot of things here." She said and sipped her tea. "So, on the topic of my husband, he said that you should kill yourself? Is that it?"

 

"Yes, it was very hard for me to hear alongside the stress that I had to deal with from probation and my father. By the way, before I forget again, did you and King Skales talk with Ninjago about sharing custody over me?"

 

"What? No. That doesn't make any sense. We don't serve the shogun, so we have no requirement to extradite you to Ninjago."

 

"I didn't think so. The probation office in Ninjago actually managed to fool me about that, hook, line, and sinker. I didn't even think to question it until it was pointed out to me."

 

"Yeah, we didn't agree to that."

 

"Then who arrested me for being out past curfew and took me into Ninjago? And raided my brother's house and stole stuff?" He asked and shook his head.

 

"I don't know, but that sounds like something we need to look into." She said and looked out a window at the clouds. "What was that you said about my husband holding your father as leverage against you? About him going to jail for any crime you committed?"

 

"You weren't there for that? My mom and dad said that they talked with Skales for a few hours about allowing me to live here once I was released from the hospital."

 

"No, I was likely busy with something."

 

Pythor sighed and looked down at his steaming tea. "My guess is that Skales was still furious about what I did last year, and wanted me put away, or worse. In fact, he even told me that if it wasn't for my father, that he'd have my head on the guillotine. He didn't believe that I had changed, even after I saved Lloyd's life and lost my arm."

 

"You… lost your arm?" She asked, looking at him with wide eyes. He nodded and took off his glove.

 

"I lost almost all of it when I shoved Lloyd out of the way of a sword swing. It couldn't be saved, and so I ended up with this."

 

"I'm so sorry about what happened to you, and about my husband's actions. I knew he wasn't happy about you living here, but I honestly had no idea that my husband had said these things to you." She said, "I promise I'll set this right."

 

"Thank you for meeting with me. It's nice that we were able to talk about this in a quiet place such as here. I thought I was ready to meet with him, but I guess I wasn't. I just ended up yelling and storming out."

 

"It's quite understandable why you left. I don't know how I would have reacted if I was in that situation." She said and got up. "And yes, it was nice being able to talk with you like this. Would you like me to lead you to the exit?"

 

"Sure." He agreed, and got up as well to leave.

 

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[May 21st, 2016 - 3:30 pm]

 

Pythor flew down to the parking lot beneath him and hovered above it. He transformed in midair, landing on the pervious asphalt and then hurried into the arcade building.

 

"Over here, Pythor!" He looked over to see Canicula and Arcturus waving him to a medium-sized room, and he slithered over.

 

He hugged both her and Arcturus. "Sorry I'm late, we got a large influx of orders for cupcakes just after lunch. I flew straight from work."

 

"Don't worry, you're alright. We just got here 10 minutes ago with Newt and Valory." She said and led him over to a bunch of tables, where a mixture of humans and serpentine were seated and talking.

 

"You can set your stuff down here." Arcturus said. “It was really nice of Alexis to let you work this morning since you couldn't on Wednesday.”

 

"Yeah, I definitely appreciate the money. So,Jule, what's the plan?"

 

"We're going to let the kids run around in the Arcade for a couple hours or so, then we'll bring everyone back here for pizza, cake, and presents. You can go out and play too, just make sure you're back here by 6:00."

 

"Alright, you got it. Want to go play, dad?”

 

“Of course, I'd love to, Pythor.” He agreed, and they went off to play together.

 

A short while later, he stood in front of a game with his hand over a button, and after a couple of seconds, he pressed it. A ball dropped down a tube and bounced around, landing in a hole labeled "20".

 

"Dang it, I thought I had it that time."

 

"Having some trouble?"

 

He turned around and gasped when he saw Salome standing behind him, and he immediately wrapped his body around her and hugged her tightly. "I was worried you wouldn't be able to make it! I'm so happy to see you."

 

"I can tell." She said with a smile and kissed him on the mouth. A few kids around them went "ewwww", but Pythor just chuckled.

 

"They'll understand when they're older." He said as he uncoiled himself and took his tickets from the machine. "Anyways, yeah, I've been trying to win the jackpots, but I haven't had much success."

 

"Well, I know some tricks that can help you. Let's start with this dragon drop game for instance. The trick to beating this one is to figure out how fast the wheel is spinning and the delay in when the ball is released." She said as she pointed to them. "There are often computers in here that alter the speed and timing to make it harder to guess the patterns, but if you're good at math then you can do it. Once you've figured them out, find a point of reference and let the balls drop."

 

"That's what she said~"

 

She snorted and lightly shoved him. "You are such a perv~"

 

"But you still love me for it~" He chuckled and went over to the machine. "Alright, let's see if I can figure this out."

 

He put in a couple of tokens and watched the wheel spin around for several seconds and counted in his head. After another couple revolutions, he pressed the button and it went straight in.

 

"Holy shit! I did it!" He yelled and jumped up and down as the machine turned out over 2,000 tickets.

 

“Woah, great job, Pythor!” Arcturus cheered and high-fived him.

 

"You sure did. Come with me, we can get some cookies." She said and took him by the hand, Arcturus deciding to follow as well.

 

"I'm going to be having cake tonight."

 

"I know." She said and led him over anyways. After they got their cookies and some water, she looked around for a moment. "I need to warn you about something though. You can't win the jackpot every time. Places like this will kick you out if you do too good."

 

"They can do that? Why wouldn't they want us to win?"

 

"Because they'll see it as them losing money. I don't know how much those gaming consoles cost for them, but if it's anything like what it would for someone like me, I'd imagine having to shell out $2,000 every few days to restock the shelves would cost them quite a bit."

 

"But… they still can't just kick you out like that!"

 

“Actually, I think they can. I don't like it, but they have to make a profit to keep the lights on, otherwise they'll close up.” Arcturus said.

 

“He's right. They're a private business, so they're allowed to set the rules for their place as long as they don't violate the law, for better or for worse. I want to share with you some other tips and tricks though." She said and pulled out her phone to show him.

 

"How am I supposed to win prizes then if I win that much?"

 

"You don't win."

 

"Huh?"

 

"You don't win every time, so to speak. The tricks that I just showed you will allow you to control your scores and remove the chance from things. My advice to you is pick out the prizes that you want to buy, and shoot for them. I also recommend that you don't win the jackpot on every game you play, you want to make it seem random. If you walk around with 8 meters of tickets, the staff will get suspicious."

 

Pythor smiled and put his chin on his hands as he smiled at her, and she gave a slight smile of her own as she blinked at him.

 

"Ummm, what's with that look?"

 

"Oh, nothing, just me admiring how smart my girlfriend is. I had no idea she knew how to play the game."

 

Her cheeks turned rosy and she looked off to the side while playing with her hair. "I just wanted you to have a good time here."

 

"I already am." He said as his chest warmed, and he reached his head over to kiss her on the cheek. "I'll see you at dinner, sweetie."

 

“I think I'll stay here. I'd like to get to know the girl who has captured my son's heart better.” Arcturus said.

 

“Alright, I'll see you soon, then. I'm going to go find Raven. I got something special I want to give him.” He said, waving a box.

 

He slithered out into the arcade, quickly finding the large hippogriff playing a game where he rolled a token down a ramp towards spinning slots. Just as he was grabbing 50 tickets out of the dispenser and putting them in a bag strapped to his thigh, he spotted Pythor and smiled at him.

 

“Hey, buddy. I know I apologized to you earlier for being an asshole to you, Sally, and River, but I really wanted to make it official. Soooo, I got you a little present. One that will allow us to communicate better.”

 

He handed the box to him, and Raven looked at it for a moment before carefully tearing the paper with a talon. He gasped when he opened it and saw the ornate silver necklace inside with an azure gemstone in the centerpiece. Raven smiled and put it on, holding the centerpiece with his claws and looked at him.

 

“ This is so beautiful. Is it telepathic?” Raven asked.

 

“No, it's not.”

 

“But you said-” He blinked, and then squacked. “Wait a second!”

 

Pythor immediately started laughing and put a paw on his feathers. “Oh man, I've been waiting to do that ever since I got it for you. Totally worth it.” He said and sighed. “Still, I'm glad you like it. I've been thinking about how you can communicate better with us ever since we met.”

 

“Well, I'm glad you did. Now I don't have to carry around a chalkboard or paper everywhere. Do you have any idea how long it would take me to write everything I'm saying now?”

 

The hippogriff's eyes were shining, and he pulled Pythor into a deep hug. “Thank you, Pythor. I love this so much.”

 

“You're welcome, Raven. I love you too.”

 

[][][][][][]

 

Pythor went over to a basketball game. He looked around for a moment, and not seeing any staff or signs saying not to take basketballs from the other machines, he put in some tokens and started throwing them nonstop into the hoop.

 

Halfway through the round, he heard yelling and looked off to the side to see Sakuzei backing away from a human teenager while holding something in his tail.

 

"Give it to me, it's mine!" The human yelled.

 

"No, I won it fair and square!" Sakuzei said, only to grunt when he got pushed to the ground and dropped what he was holding.

 

"Bullshit, snake! You cheate-'' The human said, but gasped when Pythor dashed in front of him, keeping himself coiled around Sakuzei as he hissed at the kid.

 

"Back. Away. From. My. Nephew."

 

"Mind your own business, snake."

 

Pythor's eyes narrowed and he leaned down towards the teenager. "You mess with my nephew, it is my business. Come on, Saku, let's go see your mum."

 

He picked up the toy prize that Sakuzei dropped and gave it to him, while the teenager ran off to the party room. They followed him in to see him talking to his parents and pointing at them, and they came over to him.

 

"Did you shove our son?" The father demanded, and Pythor sighed.

 

"No, I did not. Cani, Jule, could you come over here please?" He asked, and they hurried right over. "I don't know what happened before I came over, but I heard yelling and saw this kid pushing Sakuzei and demanding that he give something to him. He shoved him when he wouldn't though." Pythor turned to the parents of the teenager. "I never touched your son, I only put myself between him and my nephew after he knocked him down."

 

Canicula leaned down and put a hand on Sakuzei's shoulder. "Is this true?"

 

"No, it's not tru-" The teenager tried to say before Canicula glared at him.

 

"She was asking our son. Go on, Sakuzei, you can tell us what happened." Jule said, and Pythor smiled at his nephew.

 

"Mark and I were playing flippy birbs and I won the game. The tickets came out on my side, but he said I cheated and came after me when I got my prize from up front. I didn't cheat at the game, I swear. I wouldn't even know how to cheat on it!"

 

"Hey, it's his word against mine! I'm telling the truth!" Mark insisted.

 

"I don't think Sakuzei would cheat, he's a good kid. I think this kid was upset that he lost to a serpentine. He doesn't seem to like us, since he called me and Sakuzei here snakes."

 

"You said what to them?!" The mother asked, and the boy started stammering. "Enough! We're going home now!"

 

"But mom! I haven't even gotten any cake yet!" He whined as they dragged him out.

 

"Thanks for looking out for our son." Canicula said and put a hand on his shoulder as Jule talked to Sakuzei. "We still have about 20-25 minutes before we're going to bring everyone back for pizza and stuff. So you can keep playing games if you want."

 

"Alright, I'll see you soon then."

 

Pythor went back over to the arcade games and played some air hockey with his dad. Suddenly, he felt something wrapped around him, and looked down to see Sakuzei hugging him.

 

"Hey little guy, what's wrong?"

 

"Am I a freak?" He asked between sniffles

 

"What? No! Why would you think that?"

 

“Sakuzei, I promise you, you are not a freak. You're a special kid, and you have a unique spirit.” Arcturus said.

 

Sakuzei sniffed. "But, grampa, Mark said I was, and he was my friend."

 

Pythor leaned down close to him and put his hands on his shoulders. "Sakuzei, listen to me. If he called you a freak and was willing to shove you to the floor over a pinrod game, then he was not your friend."

 

"But why would he say that?"

 

"Some people don't like us serpentine. They fear or hate those that don't look like them, and seek to make us look like the enemy. Of course, not all humans are like that, and I want to say that most aren't."

 

"Why don't they like us?"

 

"Well, it could be for a lot of reasons. Some humans don't like us for not letting them drill for oil or natural gas, or mine for coal on our land, because it means less money for them. The serpentine war created a lot of resentment towards us, and more people are also moving here because we have better healthcare and tax laws than Ninjago does, and it's affecting their economy."

 

Sakuzei's made a weird face when he mentioned the word "economy", and Pythor just chuckled and rubbed his shoulder.

 

"Don't worry about it. Again, not all humans act like how Mark does. I have several in my support group who help me out with things, plus you and your uncle still had human friends to play with when you were growing up."

 

“We owe a lot to those humans. They sheltered and supported us, and gave you true friends. Pythor's right, not all humans are bad.” Arcturus said.

 

"I guess…"

 

"Do you want to play some air hockey with me and your grandpa? We should still have time for a game or two before it's time for cake and presents."

 

"Yeah, sure." He said with a smile.

 

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“Well, Ms. Nuwa, it was really nice getting to meet you. I know that my wife and other children have already done so, but having done it myself, I can see why my son fell in love with you. You're a very nice person.”

 

“Thank you, sir. I can say the same myself. You’re a great person too, and I can see you in your son. I hope that we can get to know each other better over time.”

 

“I'm sure we will.”

 

“Thanks a lot for giving Raven that necklace, Pythor. He really loves it.” She said, watching as he danced around the parking lot, his hooves clacking against the asphalt.

 

"Hey mom, dad! I beat Pythor in air hockey today! Twice!" Sakuzei said as they went out to the cars, and she looked over at him. Pythor simply smiled and winked at her as he ate a slice of pizza while lifting his bag of prizes over his shoulder.

 

"That's great!" Jule said and looked over to Pythor. "Hey, thanks for being here. I don't think tonight would have turned out so well if you hadn't."

 

"It's no problem. No way was I going to miss my first birthday party with my nephew."

 

"Thanks for the Pego castle set and the telescope, uncle Pythor!" Sakuzei said and hugged him.

 

"You're welcome, buddy. I know we don't get to see each other as much as I would like, but I still love you and want to make you happy." Pythor said as he hugged him back tightly.

 

"We better not see that stuff all over the floor though." Canicula said as she patted Sakuzei on the head.

 

"You just had to ruin the moment, didn't you?" Pythor chuckled as he let go. "Well, I'll see you later."

 

"Mind if I drive you home?" Salome asked.

 

Pythor looked at the time on his phone and sighed. "I'd love that, but there's no way we'd make it there before 8:00. If I fly there I can clear that distance in about 30-40 minutes."

 

"Oh… alright." She sighed.

 

"It's getting me upset too, and I'm about to reach my breaking point. I'm going to get to the bottom of this, and then we can really be together."

 

"I believe you. Good luck." She said, and waved goodbye. She turned to Raven. “Make sure you get him there, okay?”

 

“Will do .”

 

“Uh uh, a wave isn't going to cut it.” He said, and pulled her back with his tail. “I gotta kiss you goodbye.” She smiled, and hugged him tight as he pressed his mouth to hers. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her even tighter for several seconds.

 

“I love you so much, Pythor. You're the best guy a girl could have. I can only imagine how much Terra and Wisp are missing you.”

 

“Yeah, her and our kids. I'm glad I got to see them on a video call, but I need to be there in person for them too.”

 

“Ummm, Pythor? The time?” Maera said, and Val pointed to her watch.

 

“Oh shoot, yeah, we gotta go. I'm sorry.” He said, letting her go.

 

“See you soon, love!” She said, and waved goodbye as he took off on Raven, while Valory flew back on Newt.

 

As soon as they got back to the house, Pythor went inside the treehouse and started setting down his stuff, with Raven following him. He took out a clock with a galaxy on it, a mini disco light, a plasma ball, and something that resembled a cobweb duster with lights on the end. He took the bag off the table, but heard something moving in it, and he looked into the bag to see a manilla envelope.

 

"Huh? What's this?" He took it out, and written on it in permanent marker was "Pythor, open immediately."

 

"Oooookay?" He said and opened the envelope, and inside was a flash drive and a note that said "Do not read or talk about any of this out loud. The royal family is always listening."

 

Raven immediately looked over at him, and Pythor returned the wide eyes he gave him with his own.

 

Pythor's chest grew tense and he looked at the flash drive. Just what was on there that it required keeping silent from the highest levels of the Ninjagonian government? Were they involved in this?

 

He grabbed his laptop and plugged the flash drive in. In the file explorer were several pictures and a text document, and he opened the text one first.

 

I'm sure this note has worried you, but be assured that your best interests are in mind. You are a good person, as are your family, and you do not deserve the cruel treatment that has been given to you by Ninjago.

 

Your suspicions about your probation are correct, and the royal family is aware that you know this now. The restrictions on your life have been a consequence of this, but they are out of patience now. In one week, they plan to arrest you again at your home after planting firearms in your vehicle while you are at work.

 

If you wish to learn the full truth, be at the Blackbird Creek Kayak Launch in Awanyu tomorrow night at 10:00 pm with your father. DO NOT wear your GPS monitor. If the royal family is aware you know the truth, people masquerading as Quetzalcoatl police officers will raid your properties and silence all involved to keep you from speaking out. Use your magic to remove the monitor and have background noise playing to create the illusion of you being home. Having someone wear the monitor around the property is essential as well.

 

Pythor sighed. This… was going to be interesting.

 

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[5/22/16 - 10:10 pm]

 

Pythor and Arcturus sat on a stone wall next to a river that flowed smoothly next to them. Pythor idly pet River and Raven, whom Salome had insisted join him for extra security.

 

"Pythor, how much longer are we going to sit here? We've been here for half an hour. I don't want us to get in trouble for trespassing."

 

"Look, I'm sure this person's going to show up." He said, and crossed his arms when Arcturus and Raven looked at him. "Okay, I'm not sure, but I have hope. I mean, why go through the trouble of slipping that envelope into my bag at the arcade?"

 

"Maybe it was to put a virus on your laptop. Or get you out of the house so they can surprise your brother with another visit.”

 

"I… maybe. That is something I was worried about, but they mentioned the royal family. This just feels real." He looked over towards the parking lot when he heard a noise, and saw someone in raggy clothing pushing a shopping cart with lots of junk and bags in it. "I wonder what they're doing here?"

 

"I think they're homeless. They might have a tent set up in the forest here." Arcturus whispered.

 

The person pushed the cart up the sidewalk and left it at the end, then started walking straight towards them. River growled and Arcturus reached for his handgun, but Pythor held his arm out when he didn't see the person reaching for anything.

 

"I see you brought your father, and you are not wearing your GPS monitor."

 

"Wait, you're the one who sent that note?"

 

"Yes, apologies for being late, but I had to make sure neither of us were followed. Come, let's discuss matters under the railroad bridge."

 

Pythor and Arcturus looked at each other for a moment before following him out of sight from the road. “Raven, come on. River, heel.” Pythor patted his waist.

 

They went under the railroad bridge and sat down on some benches near a light. Raven sat down in front of it, and held a wing between Pythor and the stranger.

 

"Who are you?" Arcturus asked.

 

The man took off the hood on his jacket and turned to face them, and both serpentine saw that he had an eyepatch. "My name is Hutchins Wernas. Captain of the guard for the royal lotus family."

 

"'Wernas'? Do you know Captain Wernas from the NGPD?" Pythor asked.

 

"Of course, she is my daughter." He said and gave a short bow. "I owe you a great deal of gratitude for saving her life during the second serpentine war."

 

"Oh uhhh, thanks." He said and rubbed his head. "So, about my probation. Are the royal family themselves really involved in this?"

 

"Indeed they are. They have been from the very beginning. When your father here took his case to the Supreme Court, the chief Justice broke the tie by voting in favor of pardoning you. Do you remember his death?"

 

"Yes, suicide by poison. I'm… guessing it wasn't a suicide." Arcturus said.

 

"No, it was not. The emperor appointed the chief justice, and when he voted against his wishes, it was seen as an embarrassment for the emperor, so they ordered his death. They have been seeking yours as well, Pythor."

 

"What?"

 

"Here, look at these." He said, and gave him laminated papers in a plastic bag. "These are copies of the emails between the shogun, Judge William Toughbut, and your probation officers. As you can see in some of those early emails, Judge Toughbut ordered the probation officer to tell you this. All of these restrictions and fraudulent charges were meant to harm your mental health with the explicit goal of getting him to commit suicide if they could not arrest him."

 

Pythor skimmed them over with Arcturus, and their eyes widened. Arcturus clenched his fists as he read it.

 

"They've been trying to get you to kill yourself?!" He hissed, and Raven squawked as he peered over their shoulders.

 

“What the fuck?!”

 

"This… this is…" Pythor hissed as he kept reading.

 

"It's wrong, yes. You weren't supposed to be allowed to live in Quetzalcoatl. The first probation officer you had believed that Quetzalcoatl still belonged to humans, and that King Skales had no claim to the land, and thus thought that you could still live there."

 

"Wait, did they really want me to try and find a home in Ninjago?"

 

"Yes. The royal family knew that you would have little to no money, and thus would not be able to afford renting and furnishing an apartment, and believed that no landlord would allow you to fill out a lease. They didn't want you to move to Quetzalcoatl because they knew you had family here that would take you in, and that they couldn't enforce laws here."

 

"I had been under the impression that they could since at the time I thought King Skales agreed to share custody over me. I can't believe I bound myself to a false curfew for so long."

 

"Me neither." Arcturus sighed as he looked out at the river. "We've burned thousands of dollars to pay for that monitor of yours when we never had to."

 

"I apologize for not being able to warn you about this sooner. It has taken me a long time to gather the information that I have without drawing suspicion. Pythor, when you attempted suicide and survived, I knew that I had to hurry before things got worse."

 

"And now time is running out." Pythor said, and Hutchins nodded.

 

"Correct, you must seek an audience with King Skales immediately and inform him of these transgressions upon his land, and then meet with the royal family yourselves before next week."

 

"You got it."

 

"Also, you should inform your therapist of a breach in the security of her computer. Spyware has been planted on it that has allowed Ninjago police and government officials to have access to private information, including yours."

 

"Great…" He sighed. "Well, thank you for doing all of this for us. I can't tell you how much it means to me."

 

"Don't thank me yet, I still have a present for you in that shopping cart."

 

"It's not trash, is it?" Arcturus asked as they followed him back.

 

"Some might see it that way." Hutchins chuckled as he put his hood back up. He shuffled some bags around and pulled out a couple vacuum-sealed bags containing a computer, keyboard, and mouse. "I don't think your brother will, however. Now you can thank me."

 

"Thanks, Hutchins. We really appreciate this." Pythor said.

 

"You are most welcome. See you soon." He said and walked away while pushing the cart.

 

"So, we're going to be seeing the royal family, huh?" Arcturus asked.

 

"We sure are." Pythor said as he pulled out his phone and tapped a contact.

 

"Pythor? Why are you calling this late?" Acidicus asked.

 

"Because I just found out some major bombshells about my probation, and I need your help. Do you still have Skales’s phone number?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Could you please call him first thing tomorrow morning and tell him that me and my dad need to speak with him at my place as soon as possible? Like immediately? It's very important."

 

"Sure thing. Anything else you need?"

 

"Do you want to have lunch tomorrow? I miss hanging out with you."

 

"Uhhhhhh, sure. Yeah, I have off tomorrow."

 

"Alright, thanks. Goodnight, Acidicus."

 

"Goodnight, Pythor."

 

They hung up, and Pythor noticed Arcturus smiling at him. "What?"

 

"Nothing, you just look happy is all."

 

"Well, like I said, I miss hanging out with Acidicus. I loved hearing his stories and just learning about history from him. I'd like to start hanging out with him more if I can. Anyways, we should get home so we can relieve Newt of being prisoner.”

 

"Yeah, good call. Let's go.”

 

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[5/23/16 - 10:30 am]

 

Pythor sat in one of the rooms in Newt's house and listened to cyberpunk music as he dipped a paintbrush in a tray. He sighed as he looked at the red and yellow dragon perched on the fire temple.

 

"I hope you'll forgive me, Flare."

 

“You said you wanted to see me, son?” Arcturus asked, coming in.

 

“Yeah,” Pythor sighed and motioned him out to the living room, and they sat down on the couch. “Do you think I'm a bad father?”

 

“Huh? What gave you that idea?”

 

“I haven't seen my kids with Terra in person since they hatched. Her either for that matter. I… I miss them, but they're all the way up in Ninjago and… we live so far away.” He said, sniffing as he did.

 

“Pythor, you love them, and you're doing the best you can to provide for them. Don't forget that the probation is the reason why you couldn't see them. You're about to fix that.”

 

“But still, I… maybe I should have asked Terra to stay here longer.”

 

“I don't think Val would have appreciated that. Newly-hatched dragons make a lot of noise like human babies. Plus, it's hard for them to travel as hatchlings when you're talking about drastic altitude changes.”

 

“I still-”

 

“Pythor, listen to me. They love you with all their hearts, and they know you love them. The fact that you're thinking about them so much and haven't stopped is proof that you are a good father. You'll see them soon enough, and you'll be a family. I promise.”

 

He sniffed again and wiped his eyes. “Thanks, dad. I love you.”

 

“I love you too, Pythor.”

 

The doorbell rung, and Newt called out that he'd get it. Pythor and Arcturus went out into the living room and saw Acidicus coming in, looking soaking wet.

 

"Oh, hey Acidicus. Lovely weather we're having today, eh?"

 

"Ha, yeah right." He chuckled as he took off his raincoat and dragged his tail across the doormat. "How've you been doing this morning?”

 

“I've been doing great. I was just finishing up a painting when you came in. Want to see it?”

 

"Sure." He said. Pythor led him to the room, and his eyes lit up as soon as he saw it. "Oh dude, this looks really amazing! Is this Kai's dragon?"

 

"Yeah. I wanted to paint him here since I believe this was his home before he joined the ninja. I don't know if I'm going to try and sell this or give it to the ninja."

 

"Maybe I could buy it from you once it's finished?"

 

"Really? You'd like it?"

 

"Of course! It's looking awesome already! I'd love to have it."

 

Pythor smiled and rubbed the back of his head as he looked to the side. "Heh, thanks. I'll think about prices later. Want to go watch some tv until lunch?"

 

About an hour later, a blue dragon landed in the yard outside and glowed pink as it shrunk. "Looks like Skales is here." Arcturus noted as he slithered up to the front door and opened it for him. "Hello, your highness."

 

"H-Hello." Skales said as he came in and brushed his tail on the carpet, not once looking up at him.

 

"Do you have anything you'd like to say to my son?" He asked. Pythor sighed and got up from the couch and slithered over to them.

 

"Dad, you don't need to do that."

 

"Pythor, he told you that you should have died. I want to hear it from him."

 

"That's not up to you." He said, and Arcturus blinked at him and backed away at his motion to do so. He went up to Skales and looked down at him. "Skales, I want you to know that what you said in Metalonia really hurt me. I won't ask or demand an apology from you, since you seem sincerely sorry and regretful for your actions. Can we please put this behind us and move forwards?"

 

Pythor held out his hand and Skales looked at it before looking up at his face. "Are… are you forgiving me?"

 

"I guess I am. I've been going around wanting others to forgive me for the things I did. I suppose I should be willing to forgive as well. I don't want us to be upset at each other anymore."

 

Skales took his hand in both of his and looked up at him with his bright red eyes. "Thank you. I really am sorry for what I did to you. I understand if you still feel some resentment or anger at my actions."

 

"Your actions, yes. Not you. Now, I'd like you to come with me. We have much to discuss." He said and led him into the dining room with Arcturus and Acidicus. "I met with someone from Ninjago yesterday, and they brought all this stuff to my attention."

 

"What is all this?" Skales asked as he and Acidicus looked over the papers.

 

"These, are all of Ninjago's transgressions on your land. The ones that piss me off the most are fining my family for thousands of dollars, planting spyware in the computer of my therapist, and intentionally hurting my mental health to lead me to… well…"

 

"They spied on your private information, along with other serpentine? Isn't that illegal even in Ninjago?" Acidicus asked.

 

"Yeah, or at least, it's supposed to be. I called Dr. Szylági about that before you showed up. She was not happy."

 

"Judge Toughbut used your monitoring fees to buy a huge flatscreen tv, a home theater set, and a luxury jacuzzi?!" Skales asked.

 

"It's fucking ridiculous." Arcturus said as he looked out the window.

 

"Yeah, and it turns out that the curfew I've been following was never even real. One night, I got stuck out at my girlfriend's house due to a blizzard and couldn't get home until the next morning. That morning, I was arrested at her house by who I thought were Quetzalcoatlan police officers. Turns out they have IDs based in Ninjago, and their uniforms and badges were fake."

 

"So they basically kidnapped you across international borders?" Acidicus asked as Skales crumpled the papers from his grip.

 

"They've put extreme tolls on all roads going in and out of our country on their side, they've restricted our trade with the rest of Ninjago with sanctions and tariffs, but this? Pursuing illegal activities across international borders where they have no jurisdiction? They have gone too far this time."

 

"We're wanting to get an audience with the royal family before June 1st so we can stop this. We were hoping if you made the meeting, they'd be more likely to grant it." Arcturus said as he came over to the table.

 

"Oh, we're going to meet with them. Mark my words, we're going to get justice for this." Skales said as he looked at them. "I promise."

 

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[May 26th, 10:00 am]

 

"Are you ready?" Skales asked as he, Pythor, and Arcturus slithered through the halls of the royal palace while being escorted by palace guards.

 

"I am. I've been itching to meet with them for several days now. This ends today. I hate these formal clothes though. I wish we could have shown up in just our scales."

“Wouldn’t that be a power move~?” Arcturus said. “But, yes, formality does have its place. Plus, your cousin over there looks good in his royal garb.”

“Thank you~” Skales said, flicking his head and trailing a hand across his chin.

 

Guards stationed in front of a large, ornate door opened it as they approached, and seated at the end of a large throne room were three people dressed in luxurious green and white robes. Flanking them on both sides was the captain of the palace guard, Hutchins, and the shogun.

 

He knew who the royal family was. They had been around back when he was still a crime boss. The emperor, Fujitaka Chōkei, and the empress, Masako Chōkei. The young girl was unfamiliar to him however, but he felt a chill run down his spine when she looked at him.

 

Although she wore makeup and a pleasant smile on her face, he knew pure, raw hatred when he saw it.

 

"All hail to the lotus family of Ninjago." The shogun commanded.

 

None of them bowed.

 

"You are commanded to-"

 

"We heard you. We will not bow to you, lotus family, because we have had enough of following your commands. We know about the communications between you, my probation officer, and Judge Toughbut.  We know about you sending people from this region into Quetzalcoatl to arrest me. And we know about you pushing me to suicide." Pythor said.

 

"We don't know of any of this." The emperor stated.

 

"Oh really? Well, we figured you might say that. That's why we brought receipts." Arcturus said and gave copies of the emails to a guard, who carried it over to the royal family. "You can't weasel your way out of this. We have confirmation that these documents came from you."

 

"Enough!" The empress demanded with a sweep of her arm. "You think you snakes can come into our palace and speak to us with such disrespect?! We are the royal family, and you will treat us with honor and respect. You should be grateful for even being allowed in our presence, but you will not be leaving if this attitude continues."

 

"The same honor and respect that you showed me when I came before you two years ago for a pardon, which you refused to grant me, and yet was given to Lord Garmadon?" Skales asked as he slithered forward. "You expect such things but loathe giving it out yourselves, especially to those you deem beneath you such as lower classes or serpentine. I am still the crowned king of the serpentine and Quetzalcoatl, and I expect to be treated with respect as well. You have been making illegal jurisdictional actions across international borders for months on end. Forging documents, impersonating police officers, the theft of confidential information, kidnapping, extortion, all of it on my land!"

 

Pythor took his turn to speak, his voice rising as he went on. "Your highest court granted me a full pardon and exoneration and you killed the chief judge for it, then booked me on bullshit charges, all so you could make a political example out of me!"

 

"You are a terrorist, Pythor Asclepia." The shogun dismissed. "Your actions in the serpentine revolution and Sköll's takeover caused the deaths of over 4,000 people and over 3 billion dollars in damages. You cannot escape from justice and you will answer to it."

 

"Where is the justice in assassinating a judge?! Where is the justice in spying on private information between a therapist and her clients?! Where is it in guiding someone towards suicide?"

 

"Do you honestly think that we would believe that some beings in another realm would have power over our every action here? It is ludicrous to think that such a claim would work. Your actions were wholly of your own volition, and Justice Hitoshi's inability to recognize that meant that he was unfit for duty."

 

"You're fucking ridiculous!" Arcturus said. "You created the Supreme Court for a reason, and now you think you can pursue these acts if you disagree with what they rule? Is this the precedent you intend to establish?"

 

"If that is what justice requires, then yes. You will hold your tongue, General, unless you would rather it be removed." The emperor stated.

 

"Leave. Him. Alone." Pythor hissed as he took off his jacket and the glove on his right hand. "You still believe I haven't changed? That I'm still some selfish mob boss or terrorist? When Adrian Chen was invading your territories, none of your armies could stand up to the combined serpentine powers. When I heard Cyrus Borg's message, I knew that I could do something to help. The only reason he didn't conquer your asses is because I stole the book of spells and freed my father here who banished them to the cursed realm!"

 

"I lost my arm when I saved Lloyd Garmadon's life! He would have died instead of me if I hadn't shoved him out of the way. Don't you get it? I died for him, and you still think I haven't changed!"

 

His heart skipped a beat when everyone except Hutchins started clapping, and even he joined in after the shogun looked at him.

 

"Bravo, what a lovely heartfelt speech, Pythor. Our deepest condolences to you for your sacrifice." The shogun said, and Pythor's fists clenched up as sparks started arcing off of him. "However, it changes nothing. You still reside on human land, and you fall under our jurisdiction. You will be placed under arrest and promptly executed by hanging."

 

"You will do no such thing." Skales hissed as he got in front of Pythor. "Quetzalcoatl has been our land, gifted to us by the first spinjitzu master 5,000 years ago, and it has remained our land in spite of your theft of it following the first serpentine war. You will cease your intrusions into our land at once, or we will respond with appropriate force against every intrusion."

 

"You would declare war on all of Ninjago? Surely you are not delusional enough to believe that you would survive another one."

 

"I would greatly prefer to avoid another war, however, your sanctions on us and police crossing our borders gives the impression that you don't feel the same way. Pythor is a citizen of my country, and you will not take him."

 

"You have no authority here, snake. Move aside or join him in death. Guards, take Pythor into custody."

 

Arcturus started to move forwards, but Pythor stuck his arm out and moved in front of Skales.

 

"You want to settle this with a fight? Then let's do it. I challenge you to a trial by combat, shogun!"

 

Everyone in the room, even the guards, froze in place. The silence lasted a good ten seconds before the shogun and the royal family started laughing at him.

 

"You would presume that you could defeat me in a duel? If death is what you desire, then I will surely grant it to you in one."

 

"That is only if you defeat me. If I defeat you, then you have to reimburse me and my family for all of the damages that you have caused, and your government will pay me… let's see… $8,000,000 for the financial and emotional hardships you have inflicted upon me, as well as intentionally leading me to suicide."

 

The shogun stared at him for several seconds before he answered.

 

"You have one month. The weapon of choice is the katana."

Chapter 23: Movie Night

Summary:

Pythor and Arcturus join Acidicus and their friends for a final night out before Pythor leaves to join the ninja by watching a movie and having lots of sex.

[5/26/16 - 10:30 am]

 

"Are you fucking insane?!" Arcturus hissed as they left the royal palace.

 

"Dad, they were going to arrest and execute me. I had to do something. At least this way I'll get a hefty sum of money to live off of. I doubt I'll be allowed to have a job when I join the ninja."

 

"You bet your life though! You… you… have you even fought with a sword since you've been out of jail?"

 

"Ummm… no."

 

"Pythor, I… have to agree with your father on this. I don't think you've fought with a sword since the serpentine revolution. And I don't mean just using one, I mean being in a proper sword fight." Skales noted. "I don't know if the shogun will execute you after the duel or try to kill you in it."

 

"Don't worry dad, I still remember the lessons you taught me as a child and when I was growing up. I'm sure they'll come in handy."

 

"That was decades ago… centuries even. Without continual practice the knowledge from those lessons will fade away. Be honest with me. How many sword fights have you been in since you were exiled from Quetzalcoatl City?"

 

Pythor scratched his head as they went down the streets towards the train station. "Hmmm… let's see… probably 8 overall."

 

"I really think that knowledge has mostly faded away. I'm very worried about you, son. Please, you don't need to do this."

 

"Dad, I do. Ninjago isn't going to rest until they have my head, and I'm tired of bowing down to them and kissing their feet. I'm doing this for you, mum, Canicula, Jule, and Newt. By hurting me, they hurt you, and I won't let anyone get away with that."

 

"How are you even going to prepare for the duel? Four weeks isn't that long, it's barely under a month." Skales wondered.

 

"Yeah, about that… I was going to ask the ninja if I could join them. I wasn't expecting to do it so soon though."

 

"Are you sure they'll even accept you? You're not exactly friends with some of them."

 

"Maybe not, but I know some people there who would be willing to train me even if I'm not accepted. It's time I faced the music. Still, I think I'll want to have some fun with my friends and family before I go. Dad, do you want to do a movie night?”

 

He smiled. “I'd love to, son.”

 

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

 

“How come you wanted to do this at Acidicus's house?” Arcturus asked as he and Pythor flew over Smooth Stone in their dragon forms.

 

“Eh, I promised his kids I'd play a game with them, and I want to keep my word in case I don't make it out of the duel. I'm not stupid enough to think there's no way I'll lose it.” He said with a smile. 

 

“Well, that's good. Anyone who thinks they're unbeatable is asking for trouble. I'm glad you're taking this seriously.” He said, and offered his paw, which Pythor happily “paw bumped”.

 

They dove down towards the street and carefully landed in a gap in the trees. Some young kids across a mix of species were playing in the shade a little ways away, kicking a ball around. They changed to their naga forms and Pythor cheered when he saw Toxx and Vern among them.

 

Vern kicked it over to him, and Pythor smiled as he kicked it back with his tail.

 

“Come on, Dad. Why don't you come play with us? We got plenty of time before the movie starts.”

 

Arcturus looked over to Acidicus's house, and chuckled as he came over to Pythor. The two somehow found their way onto opposing teams of the football game, and began trying to one-up each other by getting the ball past them.

 

Eventually, Pythor had to stop when he got a coughing fit, and a time-out was declared for his sake. Once he had recovered, they played for about an hour, stopping when a scream rang out. Pythor immediately turned towards a young human girl, who was curled up against a tree and holding her knee and lower leg, which was rough and red.

 

“Oh dear, what happened?”

 

“I f-f-fell.” She cried and sniffed, and he took a look at the scrape she had gotten on it.

 

“What's your name, little lady?” Arcturus asked.

 

“Emily.”

 

“I'm Arcturus, and this is my son, Pythor. We're going to take good care of you, okay?” She nodded, and he looked at Pythor. “How bad does it look?”

 

“I think it's just a scrape. Probably looks worse than it is. I'm not my brother, but we had better get this taken care of sooner rather than later. Can you walk? Acidicus's house is right behind us. We can take care of you there.” She nodded, and he helped her up.

 

Acidicus was already on the steps, and had a first-aid kit at the ready, along with some water. “I was watching the game, and saw the fall too. Looked pretty rough.”

 

“I didn't see it, but I think she'll be okay. Healing magic probably won't be required for it.” Pythor said. “Okay, I'm going to need you to take a seat here, Emily. We need to rinse out the wound. It might hurt a little, but just for a moment. Can we do that?”

 

“Okay.” She took a seat, and Pythor got to work rinsing her leg and getting it bandaged.

 

“And that's that.” He said pulling back once it was done. “Should heal up in a few days. Maybe a week. I think you should head home and tell your parents what happened though. Okay?”

 

“Okay, thanks. Mr. Pythor.” She said and hugged him, and he returned the gesture. As she left, Toxx and Vern came up the steps, and they too hugged Pythor.

 

“Thank you for playing with us, Pythor! It was so much fun!” Toxx said, still not letting him go.

 

“Hey, I'm glad I could be a part of it. I promised you I'd play with you, didn't I?” He asked as they let him go. “Want to go inside and play with Pegos?”

 

The two kids squealed and ran inside while Acidicus held the door for them. “Hey, I really appreciate you taking the time to stop by early and play with them. They've really been looking forward to it, even though I swear I can't remember you ever promising that.”

 

“Well, kids don't usually forget promises.” Pythor chuckled.

 

“Yeah, I probably just forgot it.” Acidicus said as he went over to the living area, where the kids were already dumping out boxes of studded blocks. “Say, how come you wanted to come over here early? Was it just to play with the kids?”

 

“Actually, I was hoping to talk with you too. You've mentioned that Ivy would tell you about the fun times she would have growing up with Clancee, right?”

 

“Yeah? What about it?” He asked as he, Pythor, and the kids started building a castle.

 

“Well, turns out Clancee is actually my half-brother, but right now he's in a different realm. I promised him I'd come and pick him up so we can see each other again. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me.”

 

“Well, sure. I'd love to. I always wanted to visit Chima.”

 

“Daddy, what's Chima?” Vern asked.

 

“It's a neighboring realm filled with lots of humanoid animals. You know Saxon at Canicula's restaurant? He's from there. We are too.”

 

“Wow, can we come?”

 

“Sorry kids, but I don't think we could get you out of school to go to another realm.” Caust chuckled from the kitchen.

 

Pythor tasted the air with his tongue and sighed with a smile. “You know, Caust, I don't think Alexis is going to appreciate you taking away her sales.”

 

“Oh, shush, she's told me that she doesn't mind. Besides, competition breeds innovation.” She said and set the brownies on the counter. “Mmm. Can't wait to see what your sister's catering looks like.”

 

“Me neither.” Arcturus said, sitting back in a chair and watched while also reading a book. “I wish we had toys like that when you were a kid. I would have loved to build stuff with you.”

 

“So do I, but we can get some and do it ourselves. The age rating on here is just a suggestion after all. What do you say?”

 

“I say the temple and garden sets look really nice.” Arcturus said, grinning now.

 

[][][][][]

 

“Yeah, we're wanting to do this naturally. So, no clothes. Everyone will see everything.” Pythor said into the phone. “I'm looking forward to it. I hate wearing clothes if I don't have to.”

 

“We feel you buddy. It's why we love Quetzalcoatl. You can walk around in your natural scales if you want to. It feels so free.” Wisp asked. “But why are you calling us about this?”

 

“I'm calling you because I'm worried about some of the people who are coming over. I know we made our agreements and rules about this relationship between the four of us, but ever since I learned I was omnisexual several decades ago, I've found myself being attracted to others.”

 

“Are you attracted to the people coming over?” Terra asked.

 

“Yes!” Pythor said, a little too loudly. “Sorry, didn't mean to act like that. Erik and I have known each other for several months now. He visited me while I was recovering at home and introduced me to the support group I'm in now. I have feelings for him. I'm not in love with him like I am with you three, but it's more like a sense of deep appreciation and close friendship.”

 

“I see.”

 

“Then there's Skalidor, who was a very great friend of mine during the serpentine war. He and I actually had sex a few times while we were going around before I went crazy and antisocial. Oh, and I think Erik's wife is hot.”

 

“Pythor, we agreed that we could have sex outside of our relationships if we had the consent of all applicable partners, and if you want to have sex with them, you have ours.” Wisp said.

 

“Really? Are you serious?”

 

“Yes. This is a big night for you, so you should enjoy yourself.”

 

“Just make sure you have protection!” Terra added.

 

“Got it. I drank infertili-tea an hour ago just in case. An IUD isn't 100% safe, and I don't want Salome to have an ectopic pregnancy.”

 

“We hope you have fun, Pythor. Enjoy your night. It's going to be one you'll remember forever.” Wisp said. “Thanks for calling. We love you.”

 

“I love you too.” He said, and made a kissing noise before he hung up and went out to the kitchen.

 

“So, you're really going to duel the shogun, huh?” Salome asked as Pythor and Arcturus set some stuff down on the kitchen counter.

 

“Yup. It's going to be televised all over the world too, so they'll be able to see me kick his ass.” Pythor said. Beside him, Raven sighed and rolled his eyes.

 

“Pythor, you haven't trained in ages, and a month isn't a lot of time.”

 

“He's right, Pythor. You still have to beat him first.” Arcturus said.

 

“And I will. But first, we gotta have ourselves a little party. And by little, I mean huge. This is my last night in Quetzalcoatl for the time being, and I'm going to make it count.”

 

“It's nice that you could join us, Ms. Nuwa.” Maera said. “You're nice company.”

 

“Please. I told you that you don't need to be so formal. You can just call me Sally.” Salome laughed, and turned to the door when the doorbell rung. River started barking, but she quickly told her to stop as she opened it. “You're late.”

 

“A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means too.” Erik said and lifted his head up, and laughed from under the wizard's hat he was wearing, and held up a DVD of “The Lord of the Rings: The fellowship of the ring”. “I got the extended edition! Aima here got the pizza.”

 

An anthro crocodile followed him in along with a large yellow dog, who was sniffing at the box, and Pythor helped them out of their vests, leaving them wearing only the scales they hatched in. He looked them over and nodded with a smile. “You two look nice.”

 

“Thanks, Pythor. It sure feels great to get out of these clothes and just be our natural selves.” Aima said. “Alex, how are the side dishes coming along?”

 

“They're done, and so are the brownies too. They're going to go great with the ice cream Arcturus got.” Alexis said, getting the macaroni and potato salad out of the refrigerator. “Hey, sis, you sure you're going to be safe from the mosquitoes if you're going out like that?”

 

“Yup. Mosquitoes aren't getting near me. Got myself covered in lavendar oil and catnip oil.” Sally said as she took off her clothes and dropped them on the couch.

 

“Meow~” Pythor said, licking his teeth at the sight of her naked body.

 

“Oh, shut up~” She said, lightly pushing him. “Let's get started. Skalidor already has the inflatable screen and the seats set up.”

 

Pythor nodded and helped carry out the bowls and plates, and everyone else helped out as well. Even Raven, who carried a basket of drinks from his beak.

 

[][][][][][][][][][]

 

“I'm so happy I'm getting to do this with you. This is going to be so fun.” Pythor said as he got settled in a chair, and Salome sat next to him, putting her arm around his neck. He gave her a quick kiss, and summoned a fireball in his hand, gently lobbing it into a fire pit. “This is actually going to be my first time seeing these movies.”

 

“Mine too.” Arcturus added as he and Maera raised their hands.

 

“Oh you are in for a treat then.” Erik said and leaned back beside Salome while digging into his pizza.

 

The movie began playing, and everyone began talking about what they thought it was going to be like. Skalidor also hadn't seen it, and made a guess about it being about marriage, drawing laughs from Erik and Aima.

 

“When did this come out? This battle looks amazing!” Salome asked.

 

“About 15 years ago.” Erik said. “I'm still surprised by the quality of the effects at the time.”

 

Salome's pegasus came trotting over to the crowd and where the commotion was. She looked over at Arcturus and made a beeline straight for him, prompting Erik to scoot over so he could see the screen.

 

The pegasus immediately and without hesitation lowered her snout to Arcturus's waist and sniffed deeply, and he stiffened up, trying to push her away from him.

 

“Xion, come on, cut that out. We're trying to watch a movie here.” Salome called.

 

The winged horse was undeterred, however, and licked at Arcturus's slit, prompting him to shudder as his lengths began to push out of his body.

 

Pythor and Erik shuddered too, being the closest to the horse's rump, they could see her tail lifted slightly and her winking slit underneath it. Her scent wafted out of it, and their cocks began to come out too.

 

“Why don't you just let her get what she wants, dad? I know you loved doing it with Rash.” Pythor asked, smirking when the older anacondrai looked at him with wide eyes.

 

“Are you really doing this right now?” Maera asked. “I thought we were watching a movie.”

 

“We are. No reason we can't also have some fun while we do it. We just have to stay quiet.” Aima said, reaching between her legs to finger her slit while eating a slice of pizza with the other.

 

Raven took deep sniffs of the air and stepped up behind Xion bringing complaints from the two serpentine and Salome who had their view blocked. They shuffled aside some more, but some took their eyes off the screen to watch Raven's cock quickly becoming erect.

 

“Sorry. I can't help myself.” Raven sighed as he reared himself up, his cock poking at Xion's rump a few times, before sliding into her vulva with a wet squelch. He stepped forwards and sighed as he pushed more of his thick cock into her body.

 

Pythor smiled as he watched Xion's slit squeezing tight around his friend's cock, and said friend slowly draw his hips back and thrust in. Xion was pushed forwards into his dad's lap, who apparently had quickly given into the idea of getting sucked off by a mare in front of his friends, family, and the rest of the neighborhood.

 

“Woah… those sets are amazing!” Pythor said when he looked back at the screen, on which was a party. He flinched when he saw the fireworks, but River and the golden dog came over to him, both pushing their snouts to his waist. “Thanks, girls.”

 

“Have fun with Yang.” Erik said, fondling himself as he looked between Raven thrusting into Xion's body and the movie. “Yeah though, they put a lot of work into these environments. They even filmed in a minefield in the later ones.”

 

“Mmmph, fucking… seriously?” Pythor asked as River and Yang started bobbing their heads on him, pressing their tongues to the undersides of his cocks.

 

“Yeah, they even told the actors not to kick rocks because they could explode.” Aima said, and looked at Salome, who was sitting down next to Skalidor's black dog. “Whatcha doin, Sally?”

 

“I'm gonna take Vanta's cock into my mouth and see how his cum tastes.” She said as the dog rolled onto his back unprompted, his cock already coming out of his sheath. She leaned down and gently grasped him by the base and began sucking on his tip.

 

“Fuck, your girl's got a great looking ass, Pythor.” Erik said, and blinked when Salome reached back to pat it, and spread her pussy for him. “Are you serious?”

 

“Yeah. Pythor, Aima, you okay if we do this?” She asked, taking her mouth off the dog's cock long enough to ask the question.

 

“I mean, I'm fucking two dragons and getting oral by a couple of dogs right now.” He said, softly thrusting into their mouths, but stopping to turn them around onto his chest and lick at their spades.

 

“I don't mind. I think it will be hot.” Aima said, and nudged Erik over.

 

The master of light knelt down behind her  and cupped her rear with both hands and began to lick up her slit. Pythor saw the smile that came over his face as he closed his eyes and pushed his forked tongue deep into Salome.

 

He looked down at the twin cocks sticking out of Erik's slit, and realized how he could make him even happier. He carefully slid over and took his tongue out of Yang's pussy, opting to finger them both with his left hand. He snaked his head over and licked up Erik's cocks, and took them both into his mouth.

 

“Fuck, Pythor. Thanks, buddy.” Erik groaned, his voice muffled as Salome ground back into him.

 

“Fuck, those flowers are pretty. I wish we were there right now.” Arcturus grunted, humping Xion's mouth more firmly while eating some pizza. “I think it would be a great place for an anniversary, huh, sweetie?”

 

“Sure, as long as you don't talk with your mouth full on it.” She smirked, elbowing him.

 

“Sorry. How's the view from Xion's other end, Pythor?”

 

He glanced over from around Erik's thigh and saw Raven roughly shoving Xion back and forth, his balls swinging into her hair with an audible smacking noise. Raven was panting and his eyes were clenched shut, at least one of them. He was probably watching with the other one as he pushed faster and faster into the mare.

 

“Fucking great.” He said. This is such a great night, and to think this is only the beginning.

 

Xion whinnied around Arcturus's cocks, bobbing her head like her life depended on it. Her efforts pushed him over the edge, and with a shockingly loud groan, Arcturus held his slit to Xion's mouth and began spewing his cum into her.

 

As she drank his cum, Raven grunted and cooed with her pussy fluttering and spraying cum against his hair. Pythor smiled at the sight of his cock throbbing, his own cocks doing so from the canine's delightful ministrations.

 

He wrapped his tail around them, humping up into their mouths and fingering them harder, focusing on pleasuring their clits until they squirted over his fingers. He pulled his mouth off of Erik's cocks, panting for breath as the two canines took him into the backs of their mouths. River even took one of her paws and began rubbing inside his slit with the back of her claws.

 

“Fuck… River… how do you fucking… know this?” Pythor grunted, sitting up and catching a close-up view of Raven's cock slamming into Xion's folds repeatedly. 

 

“Oh! Raven's about to knot Xion!” Salome grunted right as Vanta whined and began shooting pearly white cum all over her face and in her mouth. “Fuck Erik… keep up the great work.”

 

“Fuck, I wish you all could feel how great this is. She's squeezing me so tight. Fuck… FUCK!” Raven grunted and shoved in one final time, spreading Xion's lips wide open, and his knot slipping in with a loud pop. The hippogriff screeched, and Pythor got to see the beast's plump balls twitch and contract as his cum audibly splashed inside the pegasus's womb.

 

The visual of this and imagining his cum bloating her as his sperm buried themselves in one or two of her eggs was enough for Pythor, and he hilted the dogs as he started cumming deep in their throats, both of them eagerly swallowing everything he had to offer.

 

“Good girls… good girls. That's it, swallow it all.” He panted, leaning back. Raven squacked, and Pythor looked up to see him looking back at them with wide eyes. He pointed to them and motioned forwards. “Oh, we gotta move. He wants to be ass-to-ass.”

 

“Oops, sorry Raven.” Salome said, and crawled away from Erik, who followed behind her.

 

“You're… alright. Just don't want to tire her out.”

 

Pythor sighed and got up, and let River and Yang go. The two dogs made their way over to Arcturus, who smiled and coiled around them, sliding his hemipenes into both of their spades.

 

“Let's get back to things.” Salome said. “I love that river. I wish we could go there. I think it would be a perfect spot for camping.”

 

“We can, actually. These scenes were filmed in the forest of tranquility.” Erik said as he laid down behind Salome, who planted her slit over his snout.

 

“That would be great! Maybe we could make an outing of it sometime in the autumn.” Pythor suggested, also returning to his duty of sucking Erik's cocks. He heard the master of light sigh when he did, and felt his heart warm when he rested a hand on Pythor's head.

 

Pythor closed his eyes and cooed himself, tilting his head and curling his tongue around both of them. Erik gently began thrusting up into him, and tensed up as Pythor took both of his hands and started rubbing at the sensitive flesh inside his slit.

 

His cocks were starting to throb, and Pythor was determined to give him a stellar orgasm, so he took him all the way to the base and licked right between his cocks. He got an idea and made a series of motions with his right hand and planted the now vibrating appendage right between his cocks.

 

Erik groaned, and thrust hard into Pythor's mouth right as Salome covered his face in a flurry of her juices. Erik squirmed and lost control of his legs as he spasmed from the pleasure, and forced Pythor to the hilt. His cocks bulged, then rolled forwards as huge ropes of cum began filling Pythor's mouth.

 

Pythor huffed and swallowed every drop of the constrictai's thick, salty cum, humming at the taste as his vibration kept him cumming. About ten seconds later, Pythor pulled off, letting the last few ropes splatter across his scales.

 

“Holy… fucking shit… dude… you are amazing.” Erik panted, heaving for breath as he moved to sit next to Pythor. “I never thought you were that good at oral. Oh fuck! You missed shadowfax!”

 

“I saw him, buddy. Don't worry. I won't get upset if I miss a frame or two. Those horses are really beautiful.” Pythor said, patting his back. He heard Arcturus moaning hard, and smiled when he saw him shuddering as he kept himself hilted in the dogs, cum leaking out of their spades.

 

“You enjoying the movie though?”

 

“Fuck yeah. It's one of the best I've ever seen. Can't wait to see what happens next.”

 

[][][][][][][][][][][]

 

Forty minutes into the movie, Pythor couldn't hold his laughter as he watched Gandalf spinning around on the floor, even as he happily thrust both of his cocks into Aima's sopping wet pussy.

 

“I cracked up when I saw this the first time too!” Aima laughed between broken moans, keeping her muscular legs wrapped around Pythor's back, forcing both of his cocks into the hilt.

 

“Mmmm, Pythor, it looks so hot seeing your scales grinding against hers.” Salome moaned, and Pythor turned his head to see her riding Erik's cocks, both pushing deep into her slit.

 

He sighed and watched as the light of the campfire flickered against her creamy skin and Erik's gray and orange scales. “You do too, love. That firelight is doing wonders for you.”

 

He shifted his attention back to Aima and the movie, resting against her beautiful scales and running his hands over them. “You're really beautiful. I can see why Erik loves you so much.”

 

“I nngghhh… married her for more than her ahhhhh…ppearance.” Erik called.

 

“He's right. We met… several years ago when I immigrated… here from Chima. He… needed a place to stay while he… fuck… harder… recovered from alcoholism.” She said between moans, and Pythor rocked her harder into the cushion as per her request.

 

“He's… yessss… mentioned how kind and charitable you were… you… gave your home to him.” Pythor grunted, throbbing inside her as she got closer to cumming around him. Tighter and tighter she got, juices squirting out around him. “Where… are you from… there?”

 

“L'aaahhhh… LorrennAAAAAA!” She growled, squeezing him against her as she clenched down on him. He couldn't hold back against how hard she was milking him, and hissed as thick ropes of fertile cum flooded her womb.

 

He hugged her tight, grunting as he made sure to stay hilted as his orgasm began to taper off. “L'orena, eh? My… brother Clancee is from there. I've been… meaning to get there.”

 

“Oh, really? I knew him! He's an amazing carpenter and a great friend of the community.”

 

“Yeah… but instead I'm here… doing this.” He said, pulling out and watching his cum ooze from her slit. Immediately though, Raven put a hand on his shoulder, and looked at him with warm eyes.

 

“You need this moment, Pythor. You've been through so much, more than anyone should in their lifetime. If Clancee is as good a friend as you said he was, he would understand the stakes you're facing and why you can't go right now.”

 

“He's… nnnnghh… right… ahhh… fuck Sally!” Erik grunted as he pushed as deep as he could in Salome, his cocks pulsing in the firelight, unleashing their creamy load into her womb. “You need every moment you can get to train and get into the right headspace for the duel.”

 

Arcturus came over to take his turn inside of Aima's soaked slit, sliding in with a sigh, and quickly began thrusting. “Exactly. While training with your body and weapons is important, you also need to train your mind. A change in perspective or outlook can do wonders for you.”

 

“Thanks, everyone. I think I needed to hear that from you all.” He said, and watched as Raven pulled out of Xion's slit, his cock popping free with a river of cum pouring out of her. As soon as he had, Skalidor slithered up behind her and stuck his face in her rump, licking deeply in her slit.

 

Salome came over, cum oozing from her slit, and took Pythor into a hug. He sighed and took her into his arms, and they held each other for a couple minutes.

 

“Come on, I gotta give you some love too.” Pythor said, and he gently laid her back against the grass. The firelight made her peach colored skin start glowing, and he curled his tail around her leg. “Mmmm, you look so beautiful.”

 

“As do you, love. Say, do you want to do this with just me? Or do you want to include someone else as well?”

 

“It's my last night here with you. You sure you don't want to decide?”

 

“Mmmmm… you know, I think we'd both love it if you got to fuck another girl while doing me.” She said, winking at him. “River, heel, girl!”

 

The wolfdog jerked her head towards Salome and jumped off of Acidicus, fresh cum dropping out of her. She ran over to them, and Salome patted her belly, with the dog immediately jumping on her. “Oof, careful, girl!”

 

River looked back at Pythor with bright, wide eyes and lifted her tail for him. Without hesitation, he grabbed his cocks and slid them into both their bodies with a sigh.

 

“Say, Pythor? How… did you know I… fuck… had sex with Rash?” Arcturus asked, steadily thrusting into Aima, grunting often at her body squeezing on him.

 

“I watched you, usually from behind a crate or while invisible. It looked really hot seeing you get pinned to a wall by her as she forced you to cum in her.” He said as he guided Raven onto his side and began licking at his balls and lengthy cock once again, humming at the taste of his cum. 

 

Off ahead of them, Xion groaned and covered Skalidor's face in a mix of her juices and Raven's cum. Skalidor pushed himself up on his tail and pushed his cocks into Xion's slit and tailhole.

 

“Heh… I… didn't mean for you to see that.” He chuckled, watching as Pythor began sucking Raven while thrusting fast and hard into his two females. “I know we have an early education about sex, and do it openly, but I've been self conscious about it when it involves family.”

 

He took his mouth off and chuckled. “I don't see why it should. I mean, when your kids are minors you could be, but I was basically 18 when I was watching you, and I had already started having sex with horses and dogs before that.”

 

“Aahhh… fuck… so that's why I often saw Pepper dripping.” Arcturus moaned and began thrusting faster into Aima, his scales slapping against her like Pythor's was against Sally and River's. “Fuck though… I'm… so happy… we can do this with each other now. It feels great doing this as a family.”

 

“I couldn't agree more. I'm having so much fun plowing these girls who have given so much to me. I just want to return the favor and give them a good time.”

 

River yipped as he rocked her on her mistress's belly, but the three of them immediately shushed her, and her ears flattened, but she still kept that smile on her face.

 

Pythor held them tight as he hissed from how human and canine pussies gripped him tight. Every bit of his cocks lit up when they twitched against him, every thrust making them more wet inside. He craned his head back and watched as both of his lengths slipped inside them, base to tip  and the sight was enough to make him start throbbing again.

 

As he thrust, Pythor began intermittently deepthroating Raven's cock while watching the movie. Skalidor himself was interested by the black riders as they chased the hobbits through the forest and the river, and slowed in his thrusting to watch it, making her stomp her hooves.

 

Pythor snickered as he quickly got back to work fucking her, and did the same for blowing Raven. The hippogriff soon tapped Pythor's head, and he was ready this time as he pushed the knot into his mouth.

 

Raven groaned as his balls began clenching up again, the cum moving through his cock and spewing into Pythor's throat. Even as he gulped down the cum, he kept working Raven's tailhole with his vibrator, making the cum pump even harder.

 

River whined and squirmed atop Salome, and Pythor suppressed his groan at the feeling of her contracting on his cocks. Although Salome hadn't orgasmed, River's was more than enough for Pythor to speed up his thrusts until he started cumming long and hard in them as well, even able to hear the wet squelches from it.

 

Now stuck for a while, Pythor happily laid down, watching as Arcturus kept vigorously mating Aima, moving rapidly in her until they both came together. The general hissed and grinded in her as he added his cum to his nephew's, and pulled out, flopping onto his back as he fought to catch his breath.

 

“I wish I could do that.” He panted, looking at Pythor and the bulge in his throat.

 

[][][][][][][][][][]

 

Thankfully, Raven's knot didn't stay inflated as long this time, and after 20 minutes, Pythor was able to pull off, cum oozing down his scales.

 

Skalidor groaned as he hilted the mare, cumming deep inside her pussy and ass, staying there until he felt like pulling out. As soon as he had, he came over next to Pythor, who was caught between watching the scenes in Rivendale, and Alexis riding Vanta's knot.

 

“Sure looks hot, doesn't it?” Skalidor asked.

 

“Actually, Rivendale looks quite cool.” Pythor said, chuckling.

 

“Yeah, it does. But, I was talking about my wife taking Vanta's cock into her pussy.” He said, reaching over and caressing her butt, fondling the dog's knot too while he was at it.

 

“I love videos where someone rides a dog's cock or a dog fucks them missionary. I feel like they give the best view for when it goes ‘pop’ and you see them start cumming in them. Oh, it is so great seeing their balls clench up as they pump semen in them.”

 

“I know.” Alexis groaned, grinding against Vanta's fur. Beneath her, the dog whined and shifted as she teased him, his balls twitching often.

 

“Say, I think I'm done fucking for the night. I want to give more attention to you and the movie.” Pythor said, putting an arm around Salome. “Want to go get some more food and sweets?”

 

“I'd love to, and thanks, I appreciate it.” She said. He helped her to her feet, and led her over to the catering tents, where Canicula was serving food with a smile. “Hey, Cani.”

 

“Hey, how are you enjoying the movie?” She asked as she made some food. “Can I get you anything?”

 

Pythor and Salome made their orders, and he brought her into a hug. “It's amazing since I'm getting to spend it with my girlfriend here. I want to give her the rest of the evening, and I'm going to make damn sure I do.”

 

“Well that's nice. Jule and I are planning a special night out for ourselves next week. I think couples need times where it is just them so that they can give each other their love.”

 

Pythor sighed at that, but Salome quickly squeezed him tighter. “Hey, I know you had sex with others tonight, but you didn't forget me. It meant so much to me that you wanted to give me some special attention.”

 

“Your name means princess, love, so I want to treat you like one. Thanks for saying that though. This relationship is something I'm still getting used to. I don't know how long it will be until I feel content or comfortable.”

 

“Well, it's important not to rush things. I can tell you really love each other, the same goes for your other mates. You'll get there in time. I'm sure of it.” Canicula said as she finished his sandwich while another staff took care of his pretzels.

 

“Hey, mister?” A male voice said, and Pythor looked over to see a cheetah couple holding hands walking over. “My wife and I wanted to thank you for keeping your voices down during the movie.”

 

He gulped, but the cheetah waved her hand with a smile. “We're being sincere. We were watching you have sex, and it looked like you were really having fun, especially with those feral dogs and that crocodile chick.”

 

“Yeah, we know how hard it can be to keep quiet when you're really in the mood, so it must have taken a lot of focus.”

 

“Oh! Spot! Dawn! It's nice to see you here.” Salome said.

 

“Yeah, I'm glad we were able to hang out at least one more time before I leave for the ninja. I don't think I can describe how much your gym sessions have helped me get on my tail again.”

 

“Well, I'm happy I was able to help.” Spot said and clapped one of his big paws onto Pythor's shoulder. “I'll miss them too. You looked like you had fun doing them.”

 

“I sure did. I only wish that I could have been part of the ‘post-workout sessions’.” He said, and winked at both him and his wife.

 

“Well, if you're ever back in town, feel free to pop on by the gym or sign up for one of our weekend hikes or jogs and we can have some fun.” Dawn offered, trailing her paw over the scales on his abdomen.

 

“I'll make a note of it.” He chuckled gazing over her body for a moment.

 

“Well, I'm glad we didn't disturb you or any of the others. Would you like to join us for the rest of the movie? It looks like our food is done.” Salome asked.

 

“Of course. We'd love the company.” The cheetah said, and the couple led them over to where they were sitting.

 

Pythor sat down and curled his tail around one of Salome's ankles, leaning against her as he began to eat. The end of the movie soon came up, and Pythor was enthralled as he watched the battle of Amon Hen.

 

Even as he watched the final battle, he held her hand and kept his scales pressed to her skin so that he wouldn't forget once he left. Spot and Dawn watched their display of love and smiled at them, and his chest warmed at their support.

 

He watched a true hero's sacrifice, and Salome squeezed his hand tight. “Promise me that won't happen to you, love.”

 

“I promise, Sally. I'm not giving up what we have here. I'll be careful.” He said, and gently kissed her on the lips.

 

[][][][][][][][]

 

Not long after, the movie ended, and everyone began packing up their stuff. Pythor reaffirmed his promise to the feline couple to come to one of their hikes, and bid farewell to his friends and family, instead opting to fly back with Arcturus while he and Salome rode on Raven and Xion.

 

As soon as they got back, Pythor led Xion into her stable, and followed Sally into the house. The two got to their bedtime routines, and climbed into the bed, with River jumping up between them.

 

“What did I do to deserve you two?” He asked, and River immediately licked his face.

 

“You saved my life, my sweet dragon.” Salome said, and took him into a kiss. “You're going to be an amazing ninja.”

 

“Thanks, Sally. Well, best get to bed. I got a long drive ahead of me the morning after tomorrow.”

 

“Sweet dreams, Pythor.” She said, and laid her head on the pillow next to him.

Chapter 24: Welcome to the Ninja

Summary:

Apologies for this chapter being almost a week late. There were some things in it that I couldn't decide whether or not I wanted to keep, so I kept working on it until today. Eventually I was able to make a decision and get this one completed.

After a fun night, Pythor bids farewell to his family and drives to the monastery, being let into the ninja after a tense vote. Unfortunately for him, not everyone is so thrilled to have him among their ranks.

[May 27th - 8:00 am]

 

“Are you sure about this, Pythor?” Salome asked. “I mean, the shogun is a veteran of combat. He's strong and fast.”

 

“I am, Sally.” He said, glancing at the phone that was propped on a counter. “Besides, it's too late to take it back now, not that I would. I have to do this. For my sake and the serpentine they've hurt.”

 

“I don't want to see you get hurt, love, and especially not killed.”

 

"Well, I have something that can help with that." Arcturus said and came over while carrying some armor. "Here, I want you to have this."

 

"Your old armor? Are you sure?"

 

"It's just collecting dust in the basement at our house. I figured you could get some use out of it, it might even help you during the duel."

 

“Well there you go, that should help protect you.” Salome said.

 

Pythor slid down and looked at it, and reached out to take it. This was the armor that his dad wore during the first serpentine war into countless battles, and it had its fair share of nicks and scratches.

 

“Hmmm, maybe. Despite all the artillery, landmines, and magic, there was a lot of hand-to-hand combat. But I… I don't know if I can take this. It's… special to you."

 

"That's why I'm giving it to you. I think it would look nice on you." He said, and the smile on his face just melted Pythor's heart.

 

Pythor held the armor to his chest and curled his tail around Arcturus. "I love you dad, I'm going to miss you so much." He put the armor in a saddlebag, then went over to hug Maera, Newt, and Jule as well, bidding farewell to each one.

 

"Hope they let you in, kiddo." Maera said as she let him go.

 

"If they don't, we'll help you unpack." Jule offered.

 

"Ah, don't worry, I'm sure they will. I told Lloyd I was coming, so they'll have time to prepare." Pythor said with a smile on his face. “I gotta go, Sally, I got a long trip ahead.”

 

“I have to go too. The trailer just arrived for Misa here to take her to the animal hospital. I have to help them get her in. See you soon!”

 

He hung up and headed out the door to get in his car and waved goodbye to his family again, and started driving north with a big smile on his face. He chuckled when he imagined how silly it would be if they were on some mission or weren't even at the monastery when he got there. Hopefully they would be.

 

[][][][][]

 

As he drove, he looked down at the sprawling forests climbing up the mountains as they transitioned into glacial peaks. He couldn't wait to see the views he got from the monastery. He couldn't believe that he's never even been there before.

 

Finally, after a full 4-hour drive, the monastery came into view, and he began driving up to the visitor's lot. Lloyd was seated out front under the shade of a tree, as was Terra, and Pythor squealed. He immediately jumped out of the car and dashed over to Terra, coiling around her and kissing her on the mouth.

 

“Oh it has been too long since I've done that!” He said and squeezed her. “I'm so happy to see you, love!”

 

“I can tell.” She chuckled and gave him a nuzzle. He immediately released her and hugged Lloyd as well.

 

“Thanks for meeting me here, scamp. I definitely appreciate it after the long drive. You have someplace where I can move my car and get my luggage up?”

 

“Of course. I'll open the garage for you.” Lloyd said, and moved over to a control panel, and a heavy armored door began to open. As soon as it was, Pythor drove inside and parked in an available spot. Lloyd and Terra both came over to help him carry his stuff over to an elevator.

 

“How have you been, Frosty?” Terra asked as it started to move.

 

Pythor almost missed the question because he had been gazing into her bright orange eyes. “Alright, but it's hurt me too much not being around you, Wisp, and our babies.”

 

“They missed you too, but the important thing is that you're here now. We're a family again, and I'm so happy to have you here.” She quickly brought him into another kiss, and this time she opened her mouth up, and he immediately slipped his tongue inside.

 

“The elevator will be at the top in just under three minutes, so if you're thinking about heading to third base, I'd wait till tonight.” Lloyd said with a smirk as they wrestled with each other.

 

“Shut up and let us have this, Lloyd.” Terra said, and shuddered when Pythor licked her neck.

 

“Awww, let the little shit have his fun. After all,” He said, reaching down to slip his fingers into her slit, and craned his neck over to Lloyd. “I did find some suspicious wet spots on the bedsheets after he and Rose spent the night in my treehouse.”

 

Lloyd's cheeks immediately got flushed, and he looked aside, only to get nudged by Pythor's tail.

 

“I'm just messing with you, scamp. I know you're an adult. Who am I to judge if you want to get more intimate with your girlfriend?”

 

“Thanks, and sorry about the mess. I thought we had gotten everything.”

 

“It's alright.” Pythor said, and the elevator soon opened to a small corridor. Everyone went outside and up to the main door, where Lloyd typed in a code and opened it.

 

“Welcome to the monastery, Pythor.” Lloyd said, gesturing with his arm.

 

“Woah! Woah! What is he doing here?” Kai asked, stopping his training.

 

"I came here in hopes of joining you."

 

"What?! You?! " Kai asked and turned around. "Hey, everybody! Get a load of this! Pythor thinks he can join us!"

 

“Hey, asshole. He can.” Terra growled, putting an arm around Pythor's shoulder.

 

“Exactly, and I sent a call to Sensei Wu so that we could get everyone together.” Lloyd said, gesturing to the other ninja, who were coming out into the courtyard with Wu, a husky, and a Hessian Shepherd.

 

"I figured I'd take the advice I was given by Lloyd and the rest of my family and join the crew. Or at the very least get some training from you all." He said as the dogs came over to him. He smiled and lowered his body and held out his left hand. They sniffed his hand, his chest, and then his crotch, and he chuckled as they started licking his face. "Awww, hello there."

 

He flicked his tongue out, and shuddered slightly as he caught the scent of pheromones around the two dogs. He discreetly curled his tail around his lower waist to cover his slit.

 

"What makes you think we would train you?" Zane asked.

 

"Because I'm asking? Besides, I need it. Like, really, really need it."

 

"What do you mean by 'you really need it'?" Wu asked.

 

"Well… I… sooooort of challenged the shogun of Ninjago to a duel, I don't have a lot of experience with a sword, and if I don't win… I'm uhhh… dead." He chuckled as he scratched his head.

 

"Yeah, you're dead." Cole laughed.

 

Well, nothing to kill growing dicks like people being dicks.

 

"Cole, behave." Wu said and turned back to Pythor. "So, you are hoping to join the ninja and train as one?"

 

"Yeah, I was happy working at a coffee shop and bakery, making people smile when they got the stuff I made, but I really think I'd be happier here, where I can use my magic and elemental powers to help protect people, instead of hurting them."

 

"Then we should make it a vote. Nya, could you please go get Misako?" Wu asked, and she walked off. "Simple majority rules. If the majority thinks you should be let in, then you will be. If they decide not, then you can go back home."

 

"I guess that's fair. What about Terra here? Doesn't she get one?”

 

“Technically, we aren't part of the ninja as an organization. We just live here. But, if we did, you'd get mine.”

 

"Okay, who here among the group thinks that Pythor should be allowed to join?" Lloyd, Jay, Nya, and Misako raised their hands. "And who thinks he should not be allowed to?" Cole, Kai, and Zane raised their hands.

A blue light appeared on Zane’s chest, and a holographic screen appeared in the air with Pixal’s face on it. “I am also against him joining. I don’t like him being here.”

 

"Looks like the vote is split." Misako said. "Wu, you will have to break the tie."

 

"Alright, sensei, let him have it!" Kai sneered.

 

"Okay. Pythor, welcome to the ninja." Kai's jaw fell to the stone and he stammered as Wu motioned him in.

 

"Awesome!" Pythor cheered as he jumped up in the air.

 

"Wha-what are you doing, sensei?" Kai asked.

 

"You said 'let him have it'." He answered, and Pythor snickered.

 

"I want to unpack first, but can someone please direct me to where the dragons stay? I really want to see Wisp and my babies." Pythor held his hands together, hopping in place.

 

"Of course, I can lead you there. Right this way.” Wu said.

 

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

 

Pythor and Terra grabbed his bags and followed Wu down the mountain until they arrived at a set of caves carved into the mountainside, each one having a smaller dwelling set in next to them. Pythor hopped off and looked at them, whistling as he did.

 

"These look pretty spacious and nice. I like them. They look just like the ones at Garmadon's sanctuary."

 

“Yeah, these were carved by Skalidor and his constrictai friends. A large dwelling for us if we want to be feral, and a cave condo that we stay in so we can spend time with our friends and families.” Terra said, winking at Pythor.

 

“Thanks for the help, sensei. I can find my way back. I'd like to spend some time with my kids and family for now before I get settled in.”

 

“I understand completely. I'll give you some time alone, but if you are interested in joining us for lunch, we'll be having it on the back patio in half an hour.” He said, and left after Pythor nodded.

 

Terra directed him to a cave, and opened a door to a smaller dwelling set aside it. As soon as Pythor slithered inside, his eyes widened and a grin came as he looked around. “Oh my god, this place is amazing!”

The inside of the cave dwelling had a surprisingly spacious layout, no doubt in part thanks to its open floor plan. The kitchen was filled with modern appliances and accessories, and the living area had a couch and a few loveseats, as well as a large window overlooking the mountain valleys below.

 

The bathrooms were also modern, but still had rustic touches that made the spaces feel natural, and the shower was large enough for Pythor to fit his whole tail inside. The bed in the master bedroom was also fitting for his body, but he didn’t question the size of it, only sighed as he sprawled out on it and tested it out.

“This is everything I could have dreamed of, Terra. It looks just like concept art pieces I’ve seen online and in videos. I’m happy I get to spend it with you.” He said, resting his head back against the pillows.

She climbed overtop of him, straddling his body as she leaned down close, smirking. “How happy?”

 

“Very, very much, my sweet mudball.” He said, wrapping his arms around her and kissed her on the mouth. “As much as I would love to take you on this bed right here, right now, I meant what I said about seeing our kids, and I’d like to do that before I join the others for lunch.”

“I understand, I’m sorry. I just missed being with you so much.” She said, climbing off him and sitting on the edge of the bed.

“You don’t need to apologize. I feel the same way. If that elevator ride hadn’t been so short and I hadn’t been tired from all that driving, I’d have taken you in there too.”

Terra looked out the bedroom window for a few moments and turned back to him. “Pythor, do you want to make love with me today?”

“Not really, no. Normally I would, but waking up at 6 in the morning then driving for like 4 or 5 hours doesn’t exactly leave one raring to go.” He said, and smiled when she chuckled.

“You should have flown here. You could easily have cut that trip in half.”

“Yeah, but then I would have had to leave my car sitting in someone's driveway or garage for who knows how long. Plus I couldn't carry everything with me while I was flying. Maybe we can have sex in the morning.”

 

“That sounds good, and I appreciate the honesty. Come on, let's go see the kids. We have a connecting door so our caves can be linked.” She said, and took him through a door in the living room.

On the other side, Wisp sat on a couch, reading a book to the four hatchlings in his lap. He looked up when he saw Pythor there and gasped, waving him over.

 

“Hey, Sparky.” Pythor said, and one of the hatchlings looked up at him. “Oh, right, I forgot you named one of your kids that. Guess I'll have to come up with a new nickname for you.”

 

“It's okay, you don't have to.” He chuckled, and let two of the kids go when they started crawling to Pythor.

 

“Hey kids! Oh you've gotten so big over the past two months. I wish I could have been here for most of them.” He said, sitting down and putting them in his lap.

 

“You're here now, Frosty. That's what matters most.” Terra said, sitting down with him and resting her head on his shoulder. “To tell you the truth, I've been dreaming about this moment for weeks. Lloyd told us how you had wanted to join us, and I've been looking forward to it.”

 

“So have I. I have a family here, kids, and I want to be a part of their lives.” He said and hugged the two dragons in his lap. “You hear that, Caramel and Hope? Daddy's sticking around.”

 

“Is there anything you were wanting to do before lunch?” Wisp asked.

 

“Can I see one of those books? I want to be a dad and do dad stuff like reading to kids.” Pythor said, an enormous grin on his face.

 

“Of course. Here you go.”

 

Pythor took a book and leaned back. “Come on over, Maud and Spark. Let's read about this caboose.”

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

 

"This place is so pretty. I could make so many paintings here." Pythor said as he looked around the pergola and the flowering vines covering it. Between this and the views stretching as far as the eye could see, he was going to love every day of being here. "I could get used to this."

 

Kai scoffed from across the table, and he began to wonder if it would be like this every day. Maybe he could break the ice as they ate.

 

"Hey, Kai, Zane? Ummm… how are Flare and Fria doing? Are their kids doing well? I haven't seen them since I arrived."

 

"Blaze, Arcta, and Frost are fine. They wanted to have lunch in their cave." Zane commented.

 

"Damn, I liked those kids." He sighed and took a bite of his sandwich. "I kind of missed Flare too, he really helped take care of me."

 

"Well, you don't have to worry, he definitely didn't miss you." Kai chuckled. "Same goes for Fria."

 

"Yeah, him trying to burn me alive and her trying to impale me really made that clear." He said and sighed. "I wish I hadn't lied to him and the others about who I was. Sensei Garmadon was right."

 

"Well, the past is in the past. You have changed yourself, and can begin anew." Wu said and sipped some tea. The husky came up to Pythor and put their head in his lap. "Mina, no begging at the table."

The husky deadpanned and growled at Wu. Pythor caught her sniffing the air though and his lap, and she licked her chops as she glanced up at him. His eyes widened slightly and he gulped as she silently stepped under the table.

 

He wrapped his tail around her body and dragged her out, claws digging into the wood as she whined. “The sensei said ‘no’, Mina. Later.”

 

The husky looked up at him and tilted her head, gazing at him with her blue and brown eyes, and smiled.

 

"Yeah, you get to stay here with us in this awesome monastery." Nya said. "Plus you'll get your own room, no more shared bunks or dealing with people who snore."

 

"Hey! I do not snore anymore!" Jay hissed.

 

"Eh, yeah you do. I can hear you through the wall." Cole added, and the rest of the ninja laughed.

 

"Say uhhh… I don't mean to be too forward, but one of the things I was hoping to do when I joined you was cook some meals here. Could that happen?"

 

"Woah, woah, slow down there. You just got here literally 40 minutes ago. Zane, Misako and I already cook for the group. You don't need to leap into things."

 

"Technically, Misako and I do most of the cooking, while you end up burning things." Zane said.

 

"Hey! I'm not that bad!"

 

Zane's eyes lit up and made a hologram in front of him. "Actually, according to the data I have collected, I was able to create a graph that shows how many meals you have made ined-"

 

"Up up up-" He said and covered Zane's eyes. "No one needs to see that."

 

"I've tasted Pythor's cooking before, and it truly is the stuff of legend." Jay said.

 

"Yeah, Pythor really knows how to cook." Lloyd agreed.

 

"Damn right. I can make sandwiches, soups, burgers, steak, casseroles, pies, cakes, pudding… are you drooling, Cole?" He asked, and Cole immediately wiped his mouth.

 

“Pythor, please watch the language. We try to keep this a sacred place.” Wu asked. Pythor opened his mouth, only to roll his eyes.

 

“ Fine .”

 

“He's not kidding, Pythor.” Lloyd said. “He has a swear jar.”

 

“Seriously?” He asked, and everyone nodded. “You're weird.”

 

"I wouldn't mind seeing what you can make. Maybe tomorrow you can make breakfast or dinner?" Misako asked.

“That would be great. Probably lunch or dinner though. Terra and I are planning on spending the morning together.” He said, and caught Cole glaring at him. “Got something you want to say, Cole?”

 

“What are you planning on doing together?”

 

Pythor opened his mouth again, but Wu probably wouldn't appreciate him being so blunt about it. “Sacred monastery” and all. But he could get around that.

 

He smirked. “You'll find out when you're older.”

 

“I'm 24!” He yelled, and Pythor just shrugged.

“I hope I can get along with Flare again. He was really nice to me back when I was staying at Garmadon's sanctuary. Oh, did you all know I used to have a couple of dragons when I was a kid?"

 

"No, we didn't. What were they like?” Nya asked.

 

"Oh, they were the best. They were found as eggs in the forest without any nests around, and I remember them hatching when I was still just a little kid myself. I ended up naming the fire dragon Pyro, and the earth dragon Orre. My parents couldn't keep them away from me. I slept with them until they got too big to stay inside anymore, they loved playing and getting pets. They stayed with me for about 170-180 years before they left. I still miss them."

 

"You raised Orre and Pyro?" Wu asked.

 

"Yeah, you know them?"

 

"Not quite, but Orre and Pyro are Terra and Flare's fathers. They both have very fond memories of their fathers and stayed with them for some time before coming here."

 

Pythor felt a thud in his chest when he heard that. "Are you serious? Are you saying that I helped raise some your dragons in a way?"

 

"Indeed I am, some bonds are so strong they can last multiple lifetimes." Wu said.

 

“Well, maybe I can use that to connect with Flare.” Pythor suggested.

 

“Don't count on it.” Kai said, only to get silenced by a look from Wu.

 

"Well, I'm going to go put my stuff away and get settled. I never got to since I was playing with my kids earlier." He said. “By the way, Misako, I could use your help with what I have planned later tonight. Do you think you could help me out?”

 

“Of course, Pythor. Whatever you need.”

 

“Excellent.” He grinned.

 

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

 

A short while later, Wu led Pythor through the hallways of the monastery as he gave him a tour to help him become familiar with it. Mina and Erin also followed along, looking back at him often and kept their tails lifted in front of Pythor, who just rolled his eyes and smiled at their antics while trying not to the effects of the pheromones show.

 

“And here is our recreational library.” Wu said and opened the double doors, and Pythor gasped at the size of it.

 

“Woah… you actually have a second floor in here. I thought you wouldn't have this many books here.” He said, slowly turning in a circle.

 

“Well, some of the ninja, including myself, love to read books that we find on our travels or buy. Misako, Zane, Nya, and Lloyd are the big bookworms here.”

 

“Well, I expect I'll find good company here then, assuming Zane will want to be in the same room as me. I get the feeling he, Kai, and Cole, aren't going to be too happy with me being here now."

 

"Don't worry, I'm sure that in time they will come to accept you as part of the team." Wu said as Pythor looked over the books with the dogs following him.

 

Pythor reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a bag of pretzels and gave them a few of them, the husky and shepherd happily crunching them down.

 

"I hope so. But, I'll deal with it. Jay told me that if I wanted to be a ninja, I'd have to accept that not everyone is going to like me." The husky nudged him and he smiled as he pet their head. "At least I know these doggos like me." 

 

"They sure do. I'm surprised how quickly they've taken a shine to you. Do you have any dogs?" 

 

"No, but my girlfriend does. I used to have a Hessian Shepherd 40 years ago, but she was sadly taken away from me."

 

"Ah-oh yes, I am sorry to hear about that. I did not mean to bring up bad memories."

 

"It's okay. You didn't. I haven't forgotten her." He said as he rubbed Erin's head and took a seat on the couch, with the dogs climbing up on either side of him. 

 

"Also, it may be true that some here may not like you, but it doesn't have to be that way. Perhaps you could bridge the gap and find common interests?"

 

“Perhaps. Say, I didn't want to bring this up around the others because it didn't feel appropriate, but… has Lloyd told you about any new… family relationships?”

 

“Hm? No, I can't say he has.”

 

“Okay, good. I was hoping to do it myself. Please, you'll want to take a seat for this.” Pythor said, and gestured to the couch across from him, which Wu took. “Tell me, does the name ‘Aspheera’ mean anything to you?” Wu's face tightened, and Pythor sighed. “I'll take that as a yes.”

 

“How do you know that name?”

 

“Me and my extended family are 99% certain that she is my great-great-great grandmother. Lloyd and I are related, we know that because we did DNA tests, and ones that he did with my 2nd great grandparents in Metalonia confirmed that they are first-cousins. So… that would mean that Hex and Rune are… almost certainly your children.”

 

“And… that would mean that I am… your ancestor. You're certain of this?”

 

“Yes. I trust them. I thought you should know at the very least that you have children and grandchildren in this world, and they're still alive. Though I'm not sure for how much longer. They are very elderly, and Rune had a health scare earlier this ear.”

 

Wu put a hand on his head, and Mina moved over to his side to put her chin on his knee. “This is… quite a discovery.”

 

“I know. I don't even know what else to say about that. I mean, you're going to be my sensei, but you're also my relative, well, barely.” Pythor shook his head to clear his thoughts.

 

“I never knew. Though, I probably should have suspected it. Aspheera and I were… very close, but… something changed, and she broke it off.”

 

“Well, I was told relationships between humans and serpentine communities seemed to be just as bad then as they are now. Plus, as a fellow teenage parent, I didn't know how to handle my partner becoming pregnant as well. Anyways, I know about what happened to her, even if I don't know about the more intimate details of your relationship, so you don't need to go down your own memory lane explaining it. I'm just sorry things didn't work out between you two.”

 

“I am as well. But, I would like to thank you for bringing this to my attention.”

 

“Of course, and,” He grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil from a nearby table to write something. “Here is their contact information. Address, email, and phone numbers. Just in case you want to get in touch with them.” Once he was finished, he handed it to Wu via his tail.

 

“Thank you, Pythor. I will. This means a lot to me. I never was able to fix things from that time, but now I have a new chance.”

 

“No problem, Gramps.” He said with a smirk, and Wu just chuckled as he left.

 

As soon as he did, both of the dogs looked at him and licked their chops.

 

“Look, girls, I'm not interested right now. Maybe tomorrow. I promised Terra I'd have sex with her first. Can we just sit back on the couch and read together? I'd really like that.”

 

The two dogs looked at each other, and Mina climbed up next to Pythor, resting her head on his shoulder and poking him with her nose. He smiled and pet her, and she settled down next to him.

 

“Thanks, girls. This is nice.” He put on some ambience on his phone and magically grabbed a book from the shelf.

 

[][][][][][][][][][]

 

A couple of hours later, Pythor sat in the library, still reading and looked up when the double doors opened and several dragons came in. He smiled and waved at them, then did a double take when he noticed the scale colors of the dragon children.

 

The kids and Pythor sniffed the air, and all grinned at the same time. “IT'S YOU!”

 

Pythor immediately put the book down and came over to the young dragons, leaning down to hug them. “Quetzalcoatl, it's been so long since I've seen you all. You three have had quite the growth spurt in the past several months huh?”

 

“Hi Frosty!” Arcta cheered, even though she was right next to his ear. He pulled back and lightly nudged them away.

 

“Hey, it's not nice to yell in someone's ear. It can hurt their eardrum. I've already been around too much gunfire and artillery for my liking.”

 

“I'm sorry…” She said. “What's artillery?”

 

“Basically bombs that can be sent really far. Hopefully it's something you never have to experience. What brings you here? Were you looking for me?”

 

“Mhm.” Gale said. “These three were wanting to play with you, and we figured we could join in too.”

 

“Of course. What did you want to play?”

 

“Chess!” Frost said, while Blaze and Arcta said “Uno.”

 

Before they could begin fighting over what game to play, Pythor cleared his throat. “Ummm, I can do both. Crest, Gale, did you want to join in?”

 

“On which?” Crest asked.

 

“You play both?” They nodded, and Pythor smiled. “Tell you what? I'll play against you two and Blaze at the same time.”

 

“But… what about Uno?” Blaze asked.

 

“I can do that too. Uno is easy, but really fun.”

 

“Until it ends in a fight.” Crest chuckled.

 

“Well, I hope your parents have raised you to be better than that.” Pythor said and got up. “Why don't you get Uno and the chessboard set up? I'll go outside and get some wood to transmute into more boards and pieces.”

 

Several minutes later, he slithered back inside with a couple of ornate boards and a bunch of pieces held in his tail. He noticed them looking at the boards and smiled. “I wanted to make them a little fancy. So, how good are you three?”

 

“Crest and I have played in tournaments pretty frequently, but we aren't grandmasters by any means.” Gale said.

 

“Why don't you start and find out?” Frost asked, and Pythor grinned at the smirk on her face as he set the pieces up on the other two boards, and did coin flips to determine who got what color.

 

“I think I'm going to enjoy this.” Pythor said, and dealt the uno cards to himself, and the three dragon children. “So, Gale, how have you been holding up?”

 

“I've been doing alright, thanks to Crest here who has been helping me out with things.” She said and made her opening move.

 

“Has Wisp been helping out?” He looked at the board he was playing on against Frost. “Pawn to b4? What are they doing?”

 

“He has, but he's still shaken up over what happened to cause this.”

 

“I would be too if I experienced what he did. Come to think of it, I sort of did.” He played a yellow +2 against Arcta, who groaned and drew two.

 

“It was scary.” Blaze said.

 

“I know. I saw it too. It must have really hurt Jay though.”

 

“It did. But Gale and I, as much as we were going through at the time, made sure that we let him know we were there for him.” Crest said. “Wow, you're pretty good at this. How can you play three games and uno all at the same time?”

 

“Three games isn't really hard for me.” Pythor said, and captured one of his bishops, then played a card against Blaze. “Back when I was in Myonlac, I sometimes played ten games at once. I very rarely lost.”

 

“I love chess.” Frost said as she moved a pawn. “It's so stimulating.”

 

“You're really good. You're giving me a real challenge.” Pythor said, looking over the board. “I'm assuming you play in tournaments too?”

 

“Yeah. I've won several. Mom, dad, and my big brother and sister are really proud of me.”

 

“I am too. It's nice that you have something that you're very passionate about and that you can improve at.” He said, and captured one of Frost’s pawns, only to be grabbed by a knight. “This is so fun.”

 

Pythor and the others continued playing cards and chess as the minutes passed by, talking and laughing all the while. Half an hour later, Pythor declared checkmate against Crest and Gale, while Arcta beat them in their third game of uno.

 

Eventually though, the doors to the library burst open, making Pythor accidentally knock over one of his own pieces. He looked over and saw Flare standing in the doorway, staring at them.

 

“Oh uhhh, hey, Flare. What's up?” Pythor asked. “Want to watc-”

 

“What's going on here?”

 

“We're… playing chess, and uno.”

 

“Well, I'm afraid you're going to have to stop now. Kids, your mother and I need to talk to you about something important.”

 

“Awww, can't we finish this game?” Frost asked, but Flare shook his head. She looked at the board and sighed. “Agree to a draw then?”

 

“Sure, I wish we could have finished.” He said and shook her hand.

 

“I do too.” She got up and left with her siblings.

 

Pythor started to clean up, but Flare cleared his throat and motioned him over. “Pythor, can we talk, privately?”

 

He looked at Gale and Crest, who shared looks with each other, but shrugged and went out into the hallway. “Ummm, what did you want to talk about?”

 

“You. I want you to stay away from my kids. I don't like you being around them.”

 

“Why? We were having fun. Your daughter is amazing at chess. I liked playing against her.”

 

“I don't care. I don't like you after all the shit you've done, especially to my friends. I don't know what Wu was thinking, letting you in, but it was a mistake. He'll see who you really are soon enough. I don't think you're a good influence, so I don't want you near my kids.”

 

“They came to me! They wanted to play with me. You can't blame me for wanting to entertain them.”

 

“You want to entertain kids, do it with your own.” He said and stormed off, leaving Pythor behind with his jaw hanging open.

 

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

 

[Later that night]

 

Pythor sat on a rock overlooking the lush green valley below, humming to himself as he played the guitar while Mina rested her head on the scales over his tail. She looked up, and Pythor heard whooshing, and saw Wisp landing next to him.

 

"Hey, honey, I missed seeing you." Pythor said as he kept playing with a smile.

 

"Well, you've seen what's kept me busy lately."

 

"I know, I can tell you care about them. You're a great father."

 

"Yeah, and in a short time I'm going to have even more mouths to feed." Wisp sighed and laid down as he put his head on his paws. "How could I have let this happen? How could I do this to Gale?"

 

Pythor frowned and set his guitar down and went over to put his hand on Wisp's head. The dragon opened his eyes and large tears rolled down his scales.

 

"I don't even remember doing it. The last thing I remembered was going to catch some food at night for Terra, some burst of wind knocking a tree onto me and making me crash. This ghost dragon forced me onto my back, and before I could stop it, it pulled my jaws open and dived down my throat. The next thing I knew, I was lying on a roof in Stiix. When I came back to Garmadon's monastery, Gale was… broken."

 

"It wasn't your fault, Wisp. Shear made you do this." Pythor said, but Wisp pushed him away with a claw.

 

"Yes, it is. I wasn't strong enough to fight him off and keep it from happening. I've always prided myself on my strong mind and will, but I guess I don't have either after all. What is it those humans say? Pride cometh before the fall?"

 

"You do have a strong mind, you're such a smart and caring drag-"

 

"Just stop, okay?" He snarled. "I was weak, I wasn't paying attention, and someone else suffered for it. You don't know how hard it was on Gale. She was traumatized over what happened to her, she still is. Do you know what it's like to be raped by your best friend?"

 

"I can't accept that, Wisp. I can't accept that you're weak."

 

"Well you better!" He snarled and reared his head up. "I have to live with the fact that now a mind dragon could make me kill my friends, my mates if they wanted, because if a ghost can make me rape them, then what else can I be forced to do? What if I hurt you or Terra?! I'd just be a burden to you…"

 

Wisp laid his head back down on the rocks and started sobbing and whimpering. “I love you… I don't want to hurt you. I'm so scared, Pythor, I'm so scared…”

 

“Wisp, honey, could you please shrink down for me?” Wisp looked up at him, still shaking with his sobs, but did as he was asked. Pythor very gently and loosely coiled around him, setting Wisp in his lap and hugged him. “You wouldn't be a burden to us, love. You've helped us more than you know.”

 

Wisp turned his head slightly, and Pythor looped his head around so he could gently lick him on his snout.

 

“Who was it who taught me how to fly? Who was it who fed me when I was injured? Who was it that saved me when I tried to take my own life and stayed with me through the whole night? I'll give you a hint.” Pythor said, and tapped Wisp's nose with his tail. “It was you. You saved me when I thought I was going to be a burden because of how Ninjago was affecting my friends and family. You gave me the support I needed to keep going on.”

 

“I just… didn't want to lose you. I love you so much, Pythor.” Wisp sniffed.

 

“And I love you too. I don't want to lose you either. Even if you left, Terra and I could still get hurt. We should face whatever is coming together. That's the best way to look out for each other.”

 

“It felt so invasive. He… he was so cruel. I hurt… killed so many people…”

 

“I know. I felt it too. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I know what it's like and I hope it never happens to you again.” Pythor said, and allowed himself to shed tears for Wisp. “He's gone now though, and he can't hurt you anymore. You're safe now. I promise.”

 

“You would never hurt me, and if by some chance you did, I know you'd do your damndest to make it up to me. I know what it's like to hurt, to be angry with yourself, to be scared, and it's okay. You don't have to go through this alone."

 

“You really are a good mate.” Wisp said, and looked into Pythor's eyes. He leaned in close, and Pythor brought his mouth to Wisp's.

 

As soon as their mouths touched, Wisp fully melted into Pythor's embrace, and he opened up his mouth, pulling the anacondrai in deeper. Pythor happily pushed his tongue in further, curling it around Wisp's while trailing his hands over his back.

 

After a few minutes, Pythor pulled away. “I don't think you're comfortable going farther than this, especially after what you just said, so, do you want to head back to the cave? I got something I want to show you.”

 

“You're right, I don't want to take this further, not yet. Let's head back to the caves. What do you want to show me?” He said, and Pythor immediately let him go to help him up.

 

“You'll see~” Pythor smiled.

[][][][][][][][][][][]

 

He led Wisp down to the cave he had been given. Terra was waiting by the door, and as soon as they went in, they was greeted by a warm glow from the candles set around the living and dining areas, the flowers strewn about, and decorative string lights drapes around, and gasped at the sight.

 

“When did you have time to do this?!” Wisp asked.

 

“Well, my game of chess with Flare's kids unfortunately got cut short, so I decided to make the most of it and really set the mood. This is why I didn't want you two coming in here until now.”

 

“It looks so beautiful.” Terra said, slowly turning around. “I can't believe you already made this place your own.”

 

“Well, it's not, not yet at least. I still have to add my own personal touches and maybe furnishings to it. But, hey, you two deserve only the best.” There was a knock at the door, and Pythor slithered over to open it up. “Ah, and our food has arrived! Come, come, take a seat.”

 

He ushered Terra and Wisp over as Misako and Nya brought the food in on a cart to the table. “Thanks so much, you two.”

 

“Of course, Pythor. We're happy to help you out. Tonight is a special night after all.” Misako said.

 

“You did all this for us?” Wisp asked and sat with his mates.

 

“Not all of it. Decorating in here took most of my time. I didn't have any to cook the hot dishes you see over there. I did want to add personal touches to the meals though, so I made the side dishes like the macaroni salad. Those vegetables and the salads? I grew those in my brother's garden.”

 

“Oh that's so cool! Thank you, love.”

 

“I can't tell you how giddy it makes me to hear you call me that.” He said, resting his chin on his shoulder from across the table. “I love it.”

 

“We'll let you be. Dessert is in the freezer and on the kitchen counter.” Nya said.

 

He quickly took his head off of Wisp's shoulder. “Thanks again for making what you did!” Nya gave him a thumbs up and shut the door. “So, my beautiful dragons, shall we begin?”

 

“Of course.” Terra said, and started cutting her fish. “I was not expecting all of this, honey. I really missed these moments the three of us shared, and now we're able to do it freely without any influence or xenophobia getting in the way.”

 

“I missed them too. I loved us staying together at your future sister-in-law's house. Especially the nights you wanted me to stay in your treehouse. Those were awesome.” Wisp added.

 

“Can you believe King Skales said serpentine didn't belong in trees? I'm thinking about inviting him to spend a night in mine just to prove him wrong.”

 

“You totally should.” Terra said, gesturing to him with her fork. “Wow, this food is absolutely delicious. Are you sure you didn't cook it?”

 

“Yes, I'm sure.” He chuckled. “I just gave Misako and Nya a recipe that my late wife gave me. The food you're eating right now is from a recipe that is over a hundred years old.”

 

“Holy shit. She must have been a really great cook.”

 

“Yeah, she was. I think she would have loved you two. She was the one who taught me how to cook at first. Her name was Xiuh.”

 

“I'm sorry she's not with us. I would have loved to meet her too.” Wisp said.

 

“Maybe I can take you to her grave and those of my children. I've been meaning to move them to a proper cemetery, actually.”

 

“Why not just leave them where they are?” Terra asked, and Pythor put his chin on a hand.

 

“I'm not sure it's the most accessible for surviving members of her family. But I'll have to think about it.” He said, and a short pause followed. “So, who's ready for dessert?”

 

“Are you it?” She asked, and Pythor almost immediately snorted.

 

“No, but I wish I was. I got us ice cream, brownies, and cinnamon buns. Normally I wouldn't have so much sugar at once, but I figured this is a special occasion.”

 

“Oh man, that sounds good. Is that what I've been smelling this whole time?” Wisp asked.

 

“Yup. In fact, they should be done in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…

 

Beep-beep Beep-Beep . Pythor immediately got up, carrying some of the dishes in with him and turning off the timer. He put on hot mitts and pulled out the brownies and cinnamon buns, setting them on the counter. He caught the scent on his tongue and sighed. “Quetzalcoatl, that smells good.”

 

He set them out to cool slightly while he got the ice cream and the fixings for them ready. Once they were and the hot desserts had cooled down slightly, he motioned them over and so they could serve themselves.

 

“This just looks so delicious, Pythor. Thanks so much for doing this. We love it! This is the best way we could end tonight.” Terra said, and she came over with Wisp so they both could kiss him on the mouth.

 

“I don't know what tastes sweeter. Your kisses or these desserts.” He said as soon as they pulled away.

 

“Hmmm, maybe he needs a second sample.” Wisp smirked and dove in for a second kiss, followed by one from Terra. They both opened their mouths this time, and Pythor pulled them in close as he matched each of them with his.

 

Terra was the first to pull away. “Alright, let's finish dessert before it cools down or melts, and the kids drive Crest and Gale insane.”

 

“You're right. I gotta figure out something special I can do for them as thanks.” Pythor said, and started eating, humming at the taste of the sweets.

 

“I'd say you've done enough for her. You've already done so much that she's grateful for. But, if you really want to, I'm sure you'll think of something. You're smart and caring like that.” Wisp said.

 

The three continued making idle talk as they finished dessert and performed their bedtime routines. Pythor volunteered to head next door to pick up the kids, and carried all four hatchlings back to theirs in his arms.

 

“They are just so precious, I love all of them, even if they aren't all mine.” He said as he slithered inside, kissing each of them on the head.

 

Wisp gently picked up his hatchlings from his arms. “I'll put these two to bed. You can sleep with Terra in your cave if you both want.”

 

“I think I'd love that, actually.” Pythor said, and carried theirs to the master bed in his new home. He carefully set them in the middle of the bed, and both father and mother settled in on either side of them, both dragons kissing their babies goodnight. He made sure the last kiss was given to Terra, and slipped into a deep sleep beside her.

Chapter 25: Wax On, Wax Off

Summary:

Pythor wakes up to his first official day with the ninja and choses to spend his morning being a family man, and having sex with his dragon girlfriend of course. After that he is excited to start training, only to find that it's not quite what he had in mind...

Warning, this chapter has extreme graphic violence and near death experiences.

[5/28/16 - 7:00 am]

 

Pythor grunted as he was suddenly jerked awake by a couple of tongues lapping at his face, and opened his eyes to see Mina and Erin looking down at him. “Hey girls. Good morning~”

 

The two dogs tilted their heads and smiled. Mina leaned in close and hooked a paw around his head, pressing her mouth to his, while Erin bit into the blankets and pulled them back.

 

Pythor smiled and gently ran his hand through Mina's fur, while the shepherd licked at his slit, slipping her tongue inside it. He opened his mouth, letting Mina lick inside and wrestle with his tongue. She pulled back after a minute and gazed down at him, then looked over at Terra.

 

Pythor did the same and saw her sitting up, rubbing her eyes, and he chuckled even as Erin took both of his cocks into her mouth. “I guess they couldn't wait.”

 

“Hm? For what?”

 

“Ahhh… I… sort of promised them I'd fuck them today. After you though.”

 

“Awww, sweetie, I can wait. In fact, why don't I move the kids into another room, then I can join you.” Terra said, giving him a quick kiss.

 

She gathered up the kids and left, and Mina smirked at him, wagging her rump. Before he could even react, she panted her thick spade right on his snout, leaving him to shudder as her thick, potent scent wafted up his nostrils and to his brain. His cocks throbbed at the pheromones, and he grasped her rump, massaging her thighs.

 

Mina released a deep sigh and ground against him while she dove down on the cock Erin offered her. She held a paw at his waist, jerking him off and holding the other to his slit while he continued slurping up her juices.

 

Suddenly, he jumped and made both dogs gag on his cocks when something was pushed into his anal hole. “Ack! What the fuck was that?!”

 

“Oops, sorry, I didn't think you'd react that strongly. It's my vibrator, love.” Terra said, waving it in front of her. Both dogs growled at her, and she offered an apology to them as well, and they went back to sucking on Pythor's cocks.

 

“You could have warned me you were going to do that you know…” He said, and grunted when she pushed it back in again. “Oh fuuuuck that feels good though. Keep it up~”

 

Mina huffed and mashed her entrance back into Pythor's mouth, and he gripped her butt with both hands to massage it. The husky sighed and pushed back more, stiffening her back up when he licked all over.

 

“Mmm, you look like you're having so much fun, love. Reminds me of when we first mated.”

 

“Yeah. I'm so happy we're getting to do this again. It's been far too long.” He said telepathically, pushing his tongue even deeper into Mina and squeezing her thighs. “In fact~”

 

Terra gasped as he slipped his tail off the bed and pushed it into her slit, and he began flexing it all over, stiffening up only when Terra began fucking him with the vibrator.

 

For the next several minutes, Pythor eagerly bucked up into the tool and the mouths of the dogs who were intent on swallowing his cum. Both dogs played with his slit, stroking its flesh with the backs of their claws. Each movement made Pythor's lengths throb, and they doubled their assault with their tongues, pushing his cocks into their throats.

 

Mina let deep, heavy breaths leave her mouth, her tail whipping about above her as her spade began to tense up. Pythor slipped a thumb into her with his tongue, kneading her clit along with her tongue, and the large dog's thighs began shaking. 

 

She rocked back harder and harder, taking her head off his cock to grit her teeth and howl as she released a rainstorm of femcum all over his snout. Thankfully for the kids, she clamped her jaws shut almost immediately and hooked a paw to her mouth to silence it.

 

Terra jerked the vibrator out of his ass and pressed it between his cocks, and threw his head back, groaning as he couldn't stop squirming from the pleasure. “Oh my god… oh my god… FUCK! FUCK TERRA! Fuuuuck that's so good! Oh I'm… I'm gonna-!”

 

The pleasure from Mina's pheromones and the three girls pleasuring him was too much, and he groaned loudly. He hilted Erin, and Mina grabbed a cock with her paws to jerk him off, ropes of cum coating their tongues and jowls.

 

Once he had stopped, he leaned back, carrying Mina with him, idly rubbing her belly and her teats, the husky shuddering at the actions. “Damn… that was great.”

 

“Mmmm, I bet. Looks like you had a lot to give, hopefully, some of that can end up in me~” Terra said, kneeling down and kissing him just like Mina had. “How did Mina smell?”

 

“Like heaven. Fuck, she has it bad. But, I don't want to use magic on them. I don't even know how we're going to do this and see to them.” He said. Mina and Erin looked at each other, and both stepped over to them.

 

Mina carefully put her jaws around Pythor's metal arm, and put it on top of Terra's hand, which Erin had moved over.

 

“Ummm… I… think they want us to be with each other.” Terra said, and as soon as she had, Erin barked at them, wagging her tail.

 

“I thought they wanted me to fuck them though?” Pythor asked, only to get smacked by Mina's paw and glared at. “Okay, okay, I get the picture. You can wait.”

 

“This is a special time for us, love. I think they recognize that. Now let's hurry before the kids wake up.” She said, climbing atop his lap.

 

“Uh-uh.” He said, shaking his head. She opened her mouth, only to yelp as Pythor grabbed her with his tail and twisted around her. She almost immediately found herself coiled with her hands and knees on the bed. “Didn't I tell you that the last time we had sex, I was going to punish you for that stunt you and Wisp pulled on me?”

 

“That was months ago! Over half a year!” She said, even as he lifted her tail up and pressed his twin cocks to both of her holes.

 

“I have a very good memory.” He hissed, flicking his tongue against her cheek. “Plus, I'm gonna use this.” He waved the vibrator in front of her with his tail, and she gulped.

 

“Oh fuuuuuck…” Terra moaned as he pushed inside of her, and simultaneously pressed the vibrator to her slit. “Damn… I always wanted you over my back.”

 

“Mmmm, I've always wanted to be on it.” He said, moving at a steady pace back and forth. “I'm really going to have to thank Mina and Erin for letting me do this. Those dogs are so smart and emotionally attuned to others.”

 

“Maybe you can fuck them later? I know they'd appreciate that.”

 

“Yeah, I was thinking of doing that in the shower sometime. But, that's for another time. Now, why don't I learn how your body feels in this form?” Pythor asked, and licked over her neck.

 

The earth dragon stiffened up and sighed with each flick his tongue made against her scales. He flexed his tail, pressing the vibrator around her slit in a semicircle, then inside of her alongside his penis. He let out his own shuddering sigh and strove to press even faster inside of her.

 

The bed began to rock against the wall, but the serpentine and dragon were too caught up in the pleasure to notice. Pythor in particular was busy running his hands over her belly and her thighs, feeling each individual scale and groove.

 

“I love you so much.” He sighed, kissing her between declarations. He pressed deep inside of her along with the vibrator in her slit, his scales grinding against hers. “Mmmm, this vibrator of yours is really something special.”

 

“I know! Can… aaah… can I tie you down and play with you using it?” She asked, a beaming smile on her face.

 

“Sure thing, baby. Sounds like fun.” He said, and grunted when she got tighter and tighter around him. She began rippling around him, and a soft spray of juices covered his waist. “Fuck… oh you're so wet~”

 

Terra looked back at him, panting heavily and squealing when he moved the vibrator to her clit. “I love… hearing you talk about me like that.”

 

“Get used to it, baby, cause you're going to be hearing it a lot~” He said, gazing into her eyes even as he used the fluids from her orgasm to fuck her even faster. “I'm going to do this with you every day and night.”

 

“Ahhhh… just… make sure you save some for Wisp, if he's up for it though. I'm worried for him.”

 

“I am too. I'll save up if he wants it, but I'm… fuck… not going to make him feel guilty for restraining myself.” He said, and held himself tighter to her as he started to get closer.

 

Each of his thrusts was harder than the last, each one rocked Terra back and forth, and he twisted the vibrator out, holding it right between his hemipenes. “Oh this is so good, I gotta get me one of these.”

 

“Oh Pythor… don't stop, and don't pull out, I want to feel you cum in me.” She grunted with each of his throbs. He leaned back, grabbing her rump with both hands, and filled the cave with loud slaps, each one creating a deep echo.

 

“Fuck girl… oh I fuck… can't wait for… you to go into… heat again. You're… you're fucking… sooo… fucking… aaaaAAAAA!” He groaned, and pushed deep inside both holes. Each length throbbed and sprayed a deluge of creamy white seed into her, each rope fueled by the power of the vibrator.

 

He laid over her back, shuddering and losing his grip on the electric tool, it falling on the bedsheets behind them. He made sure to keep his scales pressed to hers, wanting her to feel every pulse and throb until it was over.

 

“Oh Drago… I missed feeling your cum in me.” Terra sighed as he slid out of her with a pop and laid beside her. “Actually, I really just missed being with you. When we left to come back here, it was really hard to do.”

 

He slowly uncoiled from her. “Why did you?”

 

“Oh, this has been our home for years, and the other dragons live here. It felt like we were leaving a part of ourselves behind. But… Smooth Stone was so beautiful and lively. To be honest, we really miss it. Salome and her friends were really fun.”

 

“Awww, now you're making me miss it.” He said and got up. “Welp, we'd best get up. Gotta get ourselves cleaned up and feed the kids. Mmmm… want pancakes?”

 

“I'd love that, thanks, Frosty.”

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

 

As soon as both of them had gotten cleaned up, Pythor got to work in the kitchen while Terra and Wisp sat with the kids, gently bouncing them and showing them toys.

 

“I still can't believe that this is real, that I actually have these little cuties to call my own.” Pythor said, coming over after setting the pancakes on the stove. He leaned down to kiss all four of the young dragons, not just his.

 

He did pick up Caramel and Hope though when they reached for him, and held them against his chest. He sighed as they rested their heads against him, looking up into his eyes.

 

“I love you two so much. You're just the sweetest babies anyone could ask for.”

 

The pancakes began to sizzle, and Pythor carefully flipped them with his tail. Wisp got up to help with the eggs, and Pythor slithered over to him.

 

“Did you know you woke me up by banging the wall?” Wisp asked, smirking at him.

 

“Oh shit, sorry, I didn't mean to. I hope I didn't wake up the kids.” Pythor gasped.

 

“Nah, they slept right through it, and don't worry, my alarm went off like a minute after you woke me up. I just thought it would be funny to tell you.”

 

“Well, you got me.” Pythor said. “Mind if I get the kid's food out for them?”

 

“Not at all. I'll take care of the breakfast and fix it up just the way I know you like.” Wisp said, kissing Pythor's cheek.

 

Pythor held Hope in his tail and used the free hand to get out the baby dragon food, a mixture of beef, chicken, and fruit. He went over to the table and carefully set it down, then the kids.

 

“Okay sweeties, are you hungry?” As soon as the words left his mouth, the kids started making unintelligible cries and tried to climb onto the table towards him. He chuckled and gently pushed them back into their seats with Terra's help. “Okay, okay, let me get it for you.”

 

“I guess their hunger is to be expected given how fast they're growing.” Terra said as she fed Spark and Maud. “Feels like we have to feed them all the time.”

 

“Why do dragons have to grow so fast?” He muttered.

 

“Ahhh, blame our evolution.” Wisp said. “Long, long ago, dragons had to grow up fast to get teeth, claws, and muscles well established before other dragons or creatures could kill them. Gryphons and hippogriffs could pick hatchlings apart if they weren't protected.”

 

“I know… serpentine are the same way. It just feels like we don't have much time, even though we do.” He said, and started eating the pancakes Wisp topped off. “Thanks, love. I hope I'll be able to pay better attention to them here than I was in Quetzalcoatl.”

 

“I'm sure you will, you love them with all your heart. You'll play games with them, feed them, clean them, sleep with them, and read them lullabies. You'll be an amazing father.”

 

“So will you, Wisp, and you, Terra, an amazing mother.” Pythor said.

 

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

Pythor hummed to himself and danced his way into the monastery. His first official day of being a ninja and he was going to be taught how to wield a sword and maybe how to better harness his elemental power!

 

"Pythor? Could you please come over here for a moment?" Wu asked from the recreation room with Misako beside him.

 

"Yes, sensei?" He asked as he dashed over in a flash.

 

"Please stand right here. You're going to be fitted for your Gi." Wu said and gestured to the middle of the room with his staff. He looked at a paper in his hands. “You… said you wanted these colors, right?”

 

“Yes. I'm omnisexual, so I want my Gi to reflect that. Even if… some people won't accept that I'm not a cisgender male.”

 

“We understand completely. Unlike some, we don't discriminate.” Misako said. “Please hold out your arms.”

 

"So, what are we going to be doing today?" Pythor asked as Misako started measuring him. "Are we going to be sparring with swords? Are you going to put me through that training course Lloyd has talked about? Or am I going to sprint through the mountains?"

 

"Today, you are going to be… doing chores."

 

His arms dropped to his side, and Misako had to move them back up so she could keep measuring them. "...what?"

 

"I prepared a list of things that need to be done in the various rooms. For example, the bathrooms here need to have the sinks, toilets, and showers cleaned of soap scum. You are to load the dishwasher, sweep the halls of the monastery as well as the rec room, and clean the kitchen counters." He said, Pythor's jaw dropping further with each thing he added. "Here is the full list."

 

"Are you serious? This stuff will take me all day! I thought you said you were going to train me!"

 

"And I am. Complete all the items on the list, and we will practice with swords when you are finished."

 

"Okay, I got all the measurements I need." Misako said and left with Wu.

 

Pythor turned to face them as they walked, still stiff as they went out of the room, and looked back at the list. Did he really have to do all of this shit? What the fuck did dusting have to do with sword fighting? He swore if this was like that "wax on, wax off" bullshit in movies…

 

He looked around the room, and it was trashed . There were potato chip bags under the couch, soda cans on the tv stand and coffee table, some of them spilled on the carpet (that was going to be fun), a pizza box on the end table… was this really how they lived?

 

He sighed and stuck his right hand out, and he had just started levitating the soda cans and pizza box when Wu came back into the room. "Oh, I just remembered. No magic or elemental powers. The rug shampooer is out here in the hall. Have fun."

 

Wu left again, and Pythor hissed as he clenched his hand and crushed the cans before they dropped to the floor. He slithered around the room and started picking them up one by one and taking them to the recycling cans.

 

As soon as he finished up in there, he slithered over to the kitchen and loaded the rest of the dishes into the dishwasher and set it to run, then took care of cleaning the counters. He decided he'd sweep and mop the hallways last. No point in doing it early on then having to do it again afterwards once he kicks all the dust up.

 

Next up were the bathrooms.

 

"I can't believe it, things were going just fine here for the past several months, and then he shows up. He's already having sex with Terra." Cole asked from down the hallway.

 

"I know! That snake just shows up on our doorstep, stuff already packed, and Wu just lets him in! It feels like he was going to do that anyway, especially since Lloyd was in on it!" Kai added as he got closer. "Well would you look at this, Pythor's already among the filth, what a surprise."

 

"Hi, Kai. Hi, Cole. Enjoying your morning?” He asked as he scrubbed the toilet, and smirked when Cole scowled.

 

"We sure are now that you're taking care of all our chores. Thanks for that." Kai said.

 

"Well, someone's got to do it, since you clearly don't."

 

"Ummm, I don't think you're in any position to pass moral judgment on us, not after you-" Cole started as Pythor moved to the shower.

 

"Kidnapped Lloyd, endangered his life, tried to kill you and your father, nearly burned Kai here alive, left you stranded in space, destroyed Zane's body… shall I go on?"

 

"Well, glad to see you at least still remember all those things." Kai said.

 

"Of course I remember them, and I deeply regret all of it. How many times do I have to make that clear?" He asked as he looked at them. "I am deeply, deeply sorry for hurting you and your families. Cole, I sent your father a hand-written letter explaining how I was sorry for nearly killing him. Do you know if he got it?"

 

"Yeah, he did, and he threw it in the shredder."

 

Pythor's heart sank and he paused his scrubbing when he heard that. "Great… I was hoping we could bridge the gap between us and make amends."

 

"Don't count on it. I don't know what game your playing here, but it's a game you're going to lose. Enjoy your cleaning." He said and started to step away.

 

"Oh, by the way, I accidentally got the toilet clogged in the north wing." Kai said as he went with him.

 

“One more thing.” He said, and in a flash he was standing behind Kai, head raised to its full height as he leaned close, fangs bared and gleaming. “Don't ever. call me. a snake. Again. Got it?”

 

Kai didn't say a word, but grimaced as he stepped away from the towering anacondrai, and walked away very quickly. Cole moved to follow, but Pythor moved in front of him in a semicircle.

 

“And Cole, I enjoyed making love with your ‘friend’ all morning long and making the bed rock back and forth. You don't have to worry about her, what goes on in our cave and relationship is our own damn business.”

 

He pulled a dollar out of his wallet and let it float to Cole's feet as she slithered back to the bathroom.

 

“Assholes…” He sighed and finished scrubbing the shower and then the sink, then went to the other bathroom, where he saw that it indeed was clogged with toilet paper and poop.

 

"Accidentally my tail. Why couldn't he have just taken care of this himself?" He asked and grabbed the plunger and started using it, only to find out that no matter how many times he did, the mix just refused to go down. It splashed back on his left hand on one go and he recoiled back. "Goddammit…"

 

"Hey, are you doing okay?" He looked over from washing his hands and saw Lloyd with his hand on the doorframe.

 

"I'm fine ."

 

Lloyd stayed silent for a moment or two. "Is someone giving you trouble?"

 

"No." He said and tried to plunge the toilet again.

 

Lloyd left and came back with a small bucket and filled it up with water from the shower. "Step back." He said, and poured it into the toilet. "It's less likely to splash back if the plunger is completely submerged and you push it gently. Try it now."

 

He did, and he breathed heavily when it went down with a satisfying flush sound. He rinsed off the plunger in the shower and put it back behind the toilet.

 

"Thanks, Lloyd. I thought I'd never get rid of that."

 

"No problem. You ummm… you sure you're okay?"

 

"Could… could you please roll up your sleeves?"

 

"Huh?"

 

"Just… please." He repeated. Lloyd hesitated for a moment before he did, and showed the warped and contracted skin on both of them. Pythor reached over and held them, running his fingers over the creases and bumps. " I … I did this to you. I hurt you Lloyd. I burned you. How could you have forgiven me for this?"

 

"Pythor, you saved my life, even after I hurt you . I would be dead if you hadn't saved me, and you died for me, and you lost your arm doing so. How could I still hate you even after that? What would that say about me?"

 

"Lloyd, I wanted you to sleep on the cold floor, Skales and the other serpentine gave you a bed and blankets. I wanted you to go hungry, they cooked you meals and let you eat at the table with them. I wanted you to go through the traps in the serpentine pyramid, Skales went and did it himself. Have you really forgotten about that?"

 

"Of course not." He said and put his hands on his shoulders. "But that doesn't mean that we have to keep letting it define us. We both have changed since then, and I know you want to atone for things, but you already have, and you don't need to prove anything to anyone."

 

Pythor pulled Lloyd into a hug and pressed his head to his back. "I love you, Lloyd. You know, before I found out who you really were, and when I thought your mom was neglecting you, I… I thought about adopting you."

 

"Really?"

 

"Yeah. I knew it wouldn't have been official or anything, but I thought about raising you. That's why I saved you from that predator, tried to teach you respect and manners, have fun with you. I guess… I saw you as my son."

 

"Oh, Pythor… that means so much to hear. Thank you."

 

"Dammit, I should probably get back to cleaning. Sensei said that I could spar with him afterwards once I'm finished. Sorry about the swears. It's just how I talk.”

 

"Alright, I'll let you get to it. Oh, by the way, Gale was wanting to see you later."

 

"Alright, thanks."

 

“And don't worry about the swears.” Lloyd said, peeking back in. He quickly looked around and whispered. “We only pay when Sensei Wu catches us.”

 

Pythor chuckled as Lloyd left and started cleaning the shower.

 

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

 

"So, how did I do?" Pythor asked as he followed Sensei Wu through the hallways.

 

"Not great."

 

"Really? But I did everything you asked me to."

 

"Oh? Then I trust you swept and mopped the floor in the hallways and the dining area? Or that you dusted the lights in the hallways and the cabinets in the kitchen?"

 

Pythor opened his mouth but froze when he thought back. "Oh shoot, I forgot about that. I wanted to do that last so I wouldn't have to sweep the floor twice. I guess we won't be doing training today then, huh?"

 

"This was your training. You'll understand what I mean later. Now, you said you were wanting to cook dinner for us with Misako?"

 

"Yes, but I don't think it will take that long to cook what I was wanting to serve everyone. Could I do that?"

 

"Of course, but I want the stuff you missed cleaned tomorrow morning at the very latest."

 

"Alright, thanks, and I'll take care of the stuff I missed while I'm letting the stuff cook." Pythor said, and went to the kitchen where Misako was taking stuff out of the fridge.

 

"Oh, Pythor, I was just about to come get you. Are you excited to make dinner?" She asked.

 

"Is it that obvious?" He chuckled. "Wow, you have a lot of stuff here."

 

"We just went shopping a couple of days ago. What were you thinking of making?"

 

"Chicken garden vegetable medley. I know the recipe by heart. Could you mince some garlic while I cut the chicken into strips?"

 

"Sure thing. So, how have you enjoyed your first day?"

 

"'Enjoyed' isn't the word I'd use. Well, except for this morning~” He said and winked. “Sensei Wu put me up to doing chores and I missed a lot of stuff. Apparently it was training, even though I don't see how exactly."

 

"If I know my brother-in-law, everything he does to train the ninja has a purpose. When we were training Nya to be the water ninja, he taught her how water can change its shape but still keep it's properties, such as filling up a cup with a hole in it when it is completely submerged."

 

"I figured it would probably be something roundabout like that. Okay, half squash and zucchini lengthwise now and slice." He said as he finished cutting the chicken and washed his hands. "I just hope I can complete it before the duel. I'm starting to get anxious thinking about it."

 

"I have faith that you will. You're very smart, and you seem ready to apply yourself."

 

"Thanks. If you don't mind me asking, how did you and Garmadon end up together?"

 

"Oh, Wu wrote me a letter, but Chen intercepted it and convinced Garmadon to sign his name on a forged copy of it. That really hurt when the truth was revealed."

 

"Oh, I didn't think it would be something like that. I thought he took you out on a river during firefly season or walked you through a field of sakura trees. At least that's what I would have done for Salome." He said as he started slicing the peppers, and Misako laughed.

 

"No, it wasn't anything that romantic. But we were still able to work it out."

 

"I miss my girlfriend. I saw her last week, and she was supposed to see me off yesterday, but she had an emergency and couldn't make it."

 

"Do you want to give her a call?"

 

"You'd let me do that?"

 

"Of course. I can keep doing this."

 

"Oh, thank you. Here, let me write out the rest of the ingredients for you."

 

Once he had, he slithered outside onto the deck and pulled up her number and called it.

 

"Hey, Frosty, how are you doing?"

 

He smiled and leaned against the railing. "I'm doing alright now that I can hear your voice again. Are you busy? I want to make this a video call.”

 

Salome put in the request to do so, and he accepted, beaming at the sight of her face. “So beautiful…”

 

“Thanks. I'm really sorry I couldn't be there for you when you left. Chokun's hippogriff tore a tendon in her right wing and I had to stabilize it so she could be taken to an animal hospital."

 

"No, no, you don't need to apologize for that. I appreciate the explanation, but I wouldn't dare wish for his hippogriff to be left in pain just so you could say goodbye to me."

 

"Awwww, you're so sweet, you know that?"

 

"Not as sweet as you. I wish you were here, you would love the views from this place. Plus the dragons are really nice. Well, most of them at least. I think you'd like it here. I'll send you some pictures I took earlier."

 

"It sounds really nice. I'm happy you got in."

 

"Yeah, it would have been really awkward if you had been there to say goodbye and they wouldn't let me in, and I had to come back."

 

"I suppose so." She chuckled, and his heart beat faster when he heard that.

 

“I also had a very special morning with Terra.” He said and sighed. “It was great.”

 

“You had sex with her, didn't you?”

 

“Oh no, we made love. Totally different thing. Cole wasn't happy about it but…” He quickly looked around and leaned in close. “He can eat a dick if you ask me.” He said, smiling when she snorted. "Enough about me though, how are you doing? Make any new drawings lately? Take up music like you wanted to?"

 

"Yeah, I got some drawings done that I'm really proud of. I think you'll like them, here I'll send them to you." She said and paused for a moment. "About music, I… haven't gotten started yet. I don't know where to begin. I was hoping you could teach me sometime, actually."

 

His smile grew and he perked up. "You want me to teach you? I'd love to! I don't know when I'll be able to, but I will. I promise."

 

"Hey, Pythor?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Thanks for calling, I missed hearing you as well."

 

"Of course. I love you, Sally."

 

"Love you too. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

 

"Sure thing. Bye."

 

"Goodbye." With that, they hung up, and Pythor went back inside to see Misako cooking the angel hair pasta.

 

"Looks like you had fun out there."

 

"Sure did. Thanks for letting me call.”

 

"You're welcome. Shall we continue?"

 

"Of course."

 

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

 

An hour after dinner had been eaten, Pythor had finally finished sweeping and mopping, and slithered out towards the dragon caves. He couldn't help but wonder how Gale was doing. He hasn't seen her ever since she visited him before he went to Metalonia.

 

A few minutes later, he approached her cave condo, and saw her resting on the couch with Crest. She waved him over and smiled at him.

 

"Hello, Frosty."

 

He smiled at his nickname and went over to her, gently taking her hand into his. Her scales felt so smooth yet grainy, just like Wisp's, and she smiled more as he rubbed them.

 

"How have you been doing, Gale?"

 

"Better thanks to you. I can't tell you how grateful I am that you have given up so much just to help me with my young." She said, her bright blue eyes glittering as she looked at him.

 

“I probably haven't been doing as much as Crest here, though.”

 

“Awwww, it's not a competition, Pythor. We've appreciated every bit you've done for us.”

 

“I know what it's like to be a parent, it's truly something special. I know you didn't ask for this, but I can tell that you deeply love your eggs, and I want to help any way I can."

 

"Would you like to feel them?"

 

"Yes, please." She smiled and leaned back, and Pythor reached to her belly. She felt so warm, and the energy inside her egg chamber was immense. It was like four stars were shining brighter than the sun. "They're going to be so beautiful, and strong too."

 

"When this first happened to me, I-I was horrified, I was broken, and I didn't know how I was going to manage. This is the first clutch of eggs I've ever had. But, then you sent such kind words to me and promised to help however you could back then. I wanted to thank you for that."

 

"You're welcome, Gale. And thank you, too, Crest, for stepping up to help her. I can tell Wisp appreciates it.”

 

“Of course. Gale and Wisp have been good friends ever since we met them, so what kind of friend would I be if I didn't help out? I just worry about Wisp. Knowing what Shear did to him, made him to…”

 

“It hasn't been easy, and I'm not sure it will get any easier. It has been really hard on him. I'm worried for him.”

 

“He's really lucky to have you.” Gale said.

 

“I'm lucky to have him . I'd be dead if he hadn't saved me. I guess you're right, Crest. What kind of friend, or mate, would I be if I wasn't there for him? I'm so thankful to Quetzalcoatl that he was willing to trust me and give me a chance all those months ago. You two as well.”

 

“Well, it did take me a while. Thanks for being honest with me though when I tried to mate with you.” Gale said.

 

“It would have felt nice, but it also wouldn't have. Well, I think I'm going to head to sleep. I've had a long day of physical work, and I get the feeling that Wu is going to run me ragged tomorrow." He said and transformed back. "I'll see you then."

 

"Goodnight, Pythor." She said and laid her head on Crest's shoulder, and he left the cave condo.

 

He was about to head back to his cave, but looked towards Flare's. He had to try. As soon as he slithered inside, a pair of blazing orange eyes locked onto him from within the darkness, and a growl reverberated throughout the cave.

 

"Get. Out."

 

"Flare, I-" He said as he started slithering in further, only to stop when the feral fire dragon reared up and stepped out into the moonlight.

 

"Did you not hear me? I told you to get out of my cave!"

 

"I just wanted to apologize to you, to make things up to you."

 

"Oh that's rich, coming from you. Well, guess what? I don't care what you want. I don't care about what you think or how you feel. You are nothing to me."

 

"I know you're upset with me."

 

"Oh, no, no. I'm not upset. I only helped out what I thought was an injured and lonely dragon by feeding him and helping him learn how to fly, not knowing that he was the very same serpentine who tried to kill the human who I think of as a son. What could I possibly have to be upset about?"

 

Pythor tightened his mouth and looked down at the cave floor as Flare stood over him.

 

"Kai thinks of me as his father, and I will do anything to protect him. If you do anything to hurt him, you will be seeing me, and I promise I will be the last thing you see."

 

"I'm sorry I hurt him. I wish I hadn't done that, and had just been a good person back then."

 

He scoffed at that. "Is your hearing really that bad? I just told you that I don't care how you feel. Now get out."

 

Flare turned around, but Pythor slithered forwards a little more. "Flare, please. Just listen. I want us to be friends again, like how we were before, only real this time. I-"

 

He grunted as searing pain shot up the side of his face, and he opened his eyes to see that he was on the ground. Pythor pressed a hand to his face and felt his blood turn cold when he saw blood on his hand. He looked up at Flare, and on the very tip of a claw, was the rest of it.

 

"You listen well, Frosty , because I will not repeat myself anymore. I will never forgive you for what you did to my son, nor will I ever be your friend, and if I so much as hear you speak a single word to me or my children again…" He growled as he stepped forwards with fire building in his mouth. "Get. Out. NOW!”

 

Pythor didn't waste a second and scrambled out of the cave as he whimpered when the fire licked his back. Flare… he… he attacked him… when he was trying to apologize.

 

"Pythor, are you okay?"

 

His head shot up when he saw Wisp sitting at the entrance to his cave, and he immediately covered the cut, even though it was on the other side of his body. "I'm fine. I'm just going to sleep."

 

Wisp held out his leg to block him and leaned down to sniff him. "You're hurt."

 

"I know, I was trying to slide down a rocky slope to take a shortcut and scratched myself."

 

"Okay, sweet dreams then."

 

Pythor hurried off, but he could feel Wisp's eyes on him as he went around the corner. Not even a minute later, and a bloodthirsty snarl echoed up the path. Pythor whipped around, and he hurried back down the path to see Wisp and Flare tumbling down the slope with their fangs at each other's necks.

 

"You attacked him?! YOU ATTACKED MY MATE?!" Wisp snarled as he jumped onto the ground.

 

"Awww, is his dick so good you forgot all the SHIT he's done?!”

 

Flare reared his claw back and slashed into Wisp's face. Wisp snarled and flinched back, and Flare seized the moment to shoot fire at his head. Pythor's heart stopped as he heard Wisp's shriek before he leapt back from the fire.

 

Blue flashes lit up the mountain side, and Flare screeched when lightning arced across his body, leaving charred scales behind.

 

"You don't know him like I do! You don't even think about others! You're just as hot-headed as your rider!"

 

Flare roared and bolted for Wisp, lunging at him and slamming him into the rock face. Flare latched his jaws around Wisp's neck and bit down hard, drawing blood. Wisp cried out and sliced down Flare's neck with his claws, but Flare refused to let go.

 

"STOP!" Pythor screamed as he looked over the edge. He pressed a hand to his neck and whimpered. It felt like Flare was biting him .

 

Flare screeched and fell onto his back when a lightning bolt hit his back. Wisp jumped on him, sinking his jaws into Flare's neck now and thrashing his head. He leapt off of Flare when chunks of ice bashed into his side, and he backed away from Fria.

 

"Pythor! What happened to you?" Terra asked as she and Crest ran up the path.

 

"F-F-Flare… he-" Pythor tried to say, and they looked to see Wisp digging his claws into Flare's neck while Fria bit into his right hindleg. Terra screamed and immediately transformed and jumped down, hurling a giant boulder into Fria's side and sending her sprawling.

 

Pythor reached over to hug one of Crest's legs, and he sat down next to him, holding him close.

 

"You're going to regret hurting my mates!" Terra snarled as she drug her claws through the ground and whipped her tail around. The ground next to her cracked and glowed orange right before lava rushed at Flare and Fria.

 

Both dragons threw themselves to the side, and Wisp slammed his whole body into the fire dragon while Fria blasted Terra's lava with ice. The earth dragon grunted when a chunk of ice flew into the side of her mouth and broke several teeth.

 

Flare fell onto his side, and screeched as Wisp's claws ripped into his face and neck. Flare's hindlegs shot out and kicked Wisp into the air, slashing deep into his underbelly. Terra snarled at this and cracks lit up the entire slope, lava arcing out over the fire and ice dragons.

 

"ENOUGH!" A large, horned, red dragon landed in the middle of the clearing. It slammed a claw on the ground, and the lava immediately cooled and solidified as waves of yellow energy rippled across it. "What has gotten into you four?!"

 

"Is that Wu?" Pythor thought he heard his voice coming from the dragon. He looked up and saw a green dragon land next to Wu and growl at the other dragons.

 

"Why are you trying to kill each other?!" Lloyd demanded, and all of the dragons started answering at once.

 

"Why is Wisp attacking Flare?!" Kai yelled as he ran up to Pythor with the other ninja.

 

Pythor opened his mouth, but no words came out, only sounds amongst wild breathing.

 

"Kai, he's in shock and… wait, Pythor, you're hurt." Nya said as she looked at Pythor. "Come on, let's get you taken care of. Let's head inside."

 

Crest stayed by Pythor's side all the way.

 

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"It's a little deep, so it's probably going to scar. You might need to use your healing magic." Misako said as she looked at him. "How did this happen?"

 

"That's what I'd like to know." Wu said as he came into the room with a cup of tea. "Pythor, Flare said that you came into his cave with a scowl on your face and told him that he had better control his rider, or you will, and that you threw a rock at him when he refused to. Is that true?"

 

Is that what he had said? Flare was lying to Wu? What should he say? He didn't want to cause any more trouble, especially if he was going to be staying here any longer. He sighed, this felt just like it did with Fangtom…

 

"Please, be honest with us."

 

"I… I never said or did any of that stuff. I had just caught some food for Gale to eat since she's hasn't been able to hunt, and I thought I'd pay a visit to Flare as well. I wanted to apologize to him for hurting Kai in the past and hiding my identity. I just… I wanted things to be like how they were before, when we were friends."

 

"And he scratched you?"

 

"... yes. He said he didn't care what I wanted or how I felt, and that I was nothing to him. That I'd never be his friend and that he'd never forgive me. When I kept trying, he slashed me and threatened to burn me."

 

"I am sorry you had to experience that, Pythor. You did the right thing by trying to atone, and Flare refused to accept that."

 

"As am I. We believe you're telling the truth, Pythor."

 

"Is Wisp going to be okay? I could feel him being bit. It was like I was being bit myself, and I'm scared for him."

 

"You're bonded with him that strongly, are you? Impressive." He said, and hesitated. "I've done what I can, but Flare burned and bit him quite hard. He's losing blood and is in serious condition. We have already requested that dragon vets visit us as soon as possible to make sure that no arteries were punctured."

 

"You should probably get some rest, Pythor. Don't worry, we'll take care of things." Misako said, and Pythor nodded, leaving without saying a word.

 

The first thing he did was head back to the dragon pens and into Wisp's cave, where Jay was kneeling next to him and sobbing along with Terra and the kids. Pythor stopped when he saw him. It was worse than he thought.

 

There was a deep scratch across Wisp's face, right across his right eye. Blood oozed from scratches and bites to his torso and legs, but especially from his neck. There lay several puncture wounds deep enough that he could see tissue and fat underneath.

 

"I'll… I'll be fine." Wisp said, but his rapid pants and shaking body told another tale. He couldn't even lift his head, and there was a puddle of blood forming.

 

“You fucking liar…” Jay cried and held Wisp's head.

 

“Don't talk my love, please, you need to save your energy.” Terra said, holding a paw with one of hers.

 

"Wisp… you're bleeding out. You could go into shock." Pythor said as he came over to him. "I don't want to lose you. I… I can't.”

 

"Don't worry… I'm… I'm not going anywhere." He said, and tried to muster up a grin, but his eyes began to close.

 

"No, you're not." Pythor pressed his hands to Wisp's head and focused on their bond. "Corpus ex vis circula, sana vital plenus."

 

Wisp's wounds started to glow, and he glanced back at them. "Pythor, stop. They're too big for you to heal on your own, please, just save your energy for yourself."

 

"No, I'm done taking things for myself, you need this more than I do. You mean so much to me, I can't just let you sit here in a pool of your own blood." He said, and felt the wounds on Wisp's body closing, and he felt the tension growing even more the longer it went on. He let a grunt slip, and Wisp's eyes locked onto him.

 

“No… please. Pythor, I'm not worth it! You deserve to live a long and healthy life, don't cut it short for me!” Wisp begged.

 

“What are you doing, Pythor?” Jay asked, voice high from Wisp's panicking.

 

“I'm giving… my mate as much of… my life he needs to heal.” He groaned, forcing more green energy into Wisp's wounds. They were almost completely closed when Pythor was shoved onto his back and pinned to the rock.

 

"What the fuck were you thinking?! Why would you do that?!" Wisp yelled, now standing on all fours.

 

"You… really have… to ask?" Pythor weakly chuckled. "You're… my friend. You saved… my life, and… I love you, Wisp. What more reason do… I need?”

 

“How many years did you burn for me? How much time did you destroy?”

 

“I don't know… I wasn't counting. A hundred?” He said as Wisp took his paw off him. He tried to get up, but his arms shook and he collapsed to his elbows.

 

“You idiot… you fucking idiot.” Wisp said, picking Pythor up and holding him to his chest, as he sat back against the wall. “What am I going to do with you?”

 

“Maybe… train? So you… don't… get your ass kicked… next time?”

 

Wisp snorted. “Fuck you…”

 

“Maybe that… in a few days~” Pythor smiled, losing consciousness in the lullaby of Wisp's big, strong heartbeats.

Chapter 26: Getting Steamy In The Shower

Summary:

I'm going to be honest with you, this chapter was rough for me. I didn't know if I was adding too much of this stuff, if it was just too repetitive, boring, or what. I just couldn't decide what I wanted for this chapter or scene, so I'm just going to publish it as-is. Maybe I'll add some stuff in a one-off chapter at the end. I don't know. This chapter is just some smut I wrote.

This week is going to be a double-feature though, I don't want to leave you with just this stuff, so I'll be publishing the next chapter either tonight or tomorrow. See you then.

“Dammit girl, you're going to get me in trouble.” Pythor grunted as he slammed Mina against the wall of the shower, water running down his scales.

 

Mina simply growled as she looked him in the eyes and quickly pulled his head towards hers with a paw. He immediately opened his mouth and began wrestling with her tongue, and she pulled harder on his head with her paw.

 

This continued for over a minute as his cocks spread her spade wide, each thrust filling the shower with a resounding slap. He pulled back, panting for breath and held his head to that of the soaked dog. “I really needed this May, you really know how to cheer someone up when others aren't being nice to them.”

 

She softly barked and rested her head on his shoulders as she squeezed around him, and he fucked her faster and faster until that squeezing turned into a vice-grip.

 

Mina squealed and held her paws tight to his back as she fluttered around him, spraying him with femcum, and he continued to fuck her all through her orgasm. He glanced over at Erin, who was watching the action while lying back against the bathroom wall and pumping a dildo into her spade with both paws.

 

“Soon girl, I promised you I would after all.” He said, and ran his hands through the shepherd's fur. He had seen art of an anthro online in the shower and wanted to try it, and Mina was all too happy to reciprocate.

 

He held her closer to him, wanting to feel every strand of fur against his scales while her tunnel squeezed every bit of his twin cocks. He began to throb, and Mina slowly licked up his neck, his cheek, and growled in his ear.

 

He grunted as the intimate touches were enough to push him over, and he slammed hard to the hilt, groaning as each spurt of seed flooded into her womb. She may not have been cumming at that moment, but she might as well have been with how tight she was.

 

As soon as the flow had stopped, he pulled out of her and let the cum drip out of her, gently carrying her to the floor.

 

“Holy shit, May…”

 

“Ahem.”

 

Pythor stiffened up and looked over at the door to see Jay standing in the middle of it. “Oh uhhh… hey, Jay.”

 

“Hey. So, this is what you do the first week you're here? Have sex with our dog?”

 

Pythor immediately set her down. “Wait! Wait! I swear, this isn't what it looks like! She backed me up against the wall and put her paws on me and-”

 

“Uh huh, sure. You know you're going to jail for this, right?” He said, and started snickering. “I'm just messing with you, man. I know all about them.”

 

“Huh? You what?” He asked, watching as Mina darted over to Jay. She rubbed her body against him and looked up at him with a smile even with the knotted dildo still in her. She sniffed at his crotch like she had Pythor's, and promptly turned  around to lift her tail, showing her swollen black spade dripping cum.

 

“I said I know all about them. When they go into heat, they get very demanding.” He said, and the shepherd growled as if to prove his point, stepping back towards Jay and flicking her head forwards. “You've smelled it too, right?”

 

“Yeah, but I tried not to let it show.”

 

“Heh, well, I noticed the tents in your pant leg, and clearly the girls did too.” He pet her head and knelt down behind her. Pythor watched as Jay waved him over, and knelt down behind her to rub her spade.

 

“Wait, you do this too?” Pythor asked, huffing when Jay parted her folds with his forked tongue.

 

The lightning ninja gave a muffled “yeah”, and spread her thighs more. Mina looked back at him panting softly as wet squelches sounded out. Pythor quickly got one of the cameras he had in the shower and showed it to Jay, motioning between him and Erin. Jay gave him a thumbs up, and Pythor blinked at the immediate response.

 

Jay grabbed a mask and pulled it over his scaled face, and Pythor set to recording him. Jay immediately began diving into the wet, cum-soaked depths of Mina's body and using one of his hands to rub her teats, both actions drawing a soft whine from her. She pushed back into his face, forcing Jay lower as she ground against him.

 

Erin hit Pythor with a paw, and he glanced over at her to see her turning and lifting her tail after pulling the dildo out of her, a loud pop filling the room as it did. He flicked his tongue out and shuddered, and moved the other camera down for a moment so he could gently roll her onto her back behind Jay. He leaned down and licked her swollen spade for several moments, drawing a sigh from her.

 

He slithered over her and lied down on her fluffy belly, pressing both of his cocks to her entrance while he grabbed his phone with his magic and set it to record as well. He moved it to his tail and grunted at the heat that surrounded him when he pushed inside, sliding easily into her warm depths.

 

When Jay had finally pleasured her enough, Mina made it clear by sharply whining and lifting a leg up. Pythor nearly came inside Erin when a squirt of clear juices landed on Jay's snout and a cloud of her scent filled the room.

 

Jay didn't waste any time, and stood up behind Mina, grabbing both of his cocks and pressing them to her spade one at a time, then sliding in. He grasped at her furry haunches and pushed in deep, sliding his slit right to her rump.

 

“Fuck man… she's so hot inside. She's… fuck… squeezing me so tight.” Jay panted, and Pythor relished in seeing her spread with the ninja's twin cocks. He stayed inside the husky, grinding deep inside her as her pussy twitched around him.

 

“Yeah, she's really hungry for them.” Pythor muttered, moving his head between his legs and up close to get a better view. Jay started thrusting, and Pythor started drooling at the sight of her hot pink insides.

 

Jay looked down at Pythor and smiled even as he steadily thrust into Mina, who returned the ninja's thrusts by pushing back into them. “How's your girl?”

 

Erin clenched hard around Pythor, making him release a long moan as he hilted her, grinding his own slit against her hot entrance. “She's so hot too, fuck… can't… can't wait to make her swell.”

 

He grunted and moved his hands down to her butt and began thrusting even faster into her. The wet slaps filled the room, and Erin panted rapidly right into his ear. Pythor turned his head towards hers and pressed his mouth to hers in a deep kiss.

 

“They were … fuck… supposed to… be bred a couple days ago but…the… breeder… called it off.” Mina's legs shuddered as their crotches pressed against each other, scales against white, black, and grey fur. Jay leaned over her, and rubbed at her head, and she quickly lifted it up to lick at his mouth just like Erin.

 

Pythor moved the camera briefly to capture this, and smiled himself at how Jay let the dog lick inside his mouth. Mina pulled her mouth away soon though, panting even more heavily as his thrusts got rougher. Those pants turned to yips when sparks jumped between his cocks and her spade, which clenched up around him.

 

“I could… fuck… make a call… to my friends. They can… have their dogs breed them.”

 

“Fuck yeah.” Jay panted and leaned more over Mina, grunting as she got tighter around him.

 

After another two minutes of rapid, wet thrusts between Jay and Mina, thrusts which had her arching her back downwards, the husky broke and tilted her head high and released a shrill howl as she clenched down even harder. Jay groaned and held himself tight, his cocks throbbing and pulsing inside her.

 

Pythor felt himself throb even more intensely than before as he heard Jay's seed flooding Mina's womb, and watched as her belly grew slightly. With heavy pants leaving his mouth, Jay pulled out of her, a string of cum connecting his cocks to her entrance before splitting and splattering his scales.

 

Erin held her legs tighter to Pythor, getting progressively tighter and tighter until she too howled and began clenching in waves. Pythor released a loud moan and hilted her, shuddering as she milked stream after stream of cum into her womb.

 

After a few minutes, he pulled out of her, and watched as a river of cum oozed out of her body. He lied next to her, and rubbed her belly as she licked at his face. “Good girl.”

 

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An hour later, Pythor lied back on the bed and put his hands behind his head, smiling softly as Mina crouched down over his cocks, and took both of them inside her. He particularly paid attention to the slight bulge that they made on her lower belly as she took them in and out of her.

 

“So, how long have you been doing this?” Pythor asked, speaking solely through telepathy to avoid ruining the video.

 

“Fuck, about a couple of years.” Jay grunted as he thrust hard into Erin, the shepherd eagerly grinding back against him and painting their crotches with their seed.

 

“Mmmph, how did it start?” Pythor asked as he gently thrust into Mina, watching how his cocks became more wet and shiny with each hilt. The husky was obviously very experienced, as evidenced by how she grinded and rolled her hindquarters every time she bottomed out on him.

 

“After I turned into a fangpyre, I started being able to pick up on new scents. One day, I was tasked with cleaning out the horse stables, and I was struck by this extremely alluring scent. The closer I got to the horses, the stronger it got, and one pinned me to the wall.”

 

“Damn… same.” Pythor chuckled as he thrust up into Mina, hissing as he grabbed at her butt. She panted louder as she leaned over him more, bucking down on him so hard it made a slapping noise that filled the room.

 

Jay pulled out of Erin and lied back, holding his cocks steady as she crouched down and took them inside her spade. He too hissed and bent his knees as he thrust up into her while she bucked down. “Fuck man, I am going to love seeing their bellies growing.”

 

Just the thought of the two dog's bellies expanding after they were bred was enough to make Pythor's cocks throb even harder. Mina could feel it, and grinded harder against him, her hot, glistening spade rubbing against the sensitive flesh inside his slit.

 

He couldn't take her teasing any longer, and pressed himself as hard against her as he could. A heavy groan came out of his mouth before he could stop it, and he felt his cocks pumping heavy loads of cum deep into her womb to mix with Jay's.

 

Mina howled again as she clenched down on him, her thighs and tunnel trembling as she covered Pythor's crotch in her juices. Pythor kept himself hilted, smiling as he watched her belly swell more from the added cum, and reached out to rub it.

 

Mina flopped down hard on him, and Pythor rubbed her head, whispering how she was a good girl as he watched Jay rail Erin's pussy. Jay grunted and buried his face in the fur around her neck, holding his arms tight to her. Cum and vaginal juices splattered over their bodies, fur being matted and scales left shimmering.

 

Erin whined and shifted, but her face was anything but agony. A bright smile lit her face, her eyes lidded, and her paws hooked around Jay's shoulders. She bucked down onto his thrusts, shaking as he stimulated her with his electricity.

 

Erin's eyes clenched shut and she released a hoarse howl, her juices spraying around Jay's crotch even as he hilted her. He thrust deeply with each load of cum he put in her, cocks throbbing and pulsing in her.

 

He laid down beside her, nuzzling into her neck as he pulled out of her. As soon as he did, cum poured out of her like bubbles from a wine bottle. Mina too stepped off of Pythor with shaking legs, and immediately flopped on her side next to him, cum oozing out of her and pooling on the bedsheets as well. Pythor let the camera record this for a few more seconds before turning it off and leaned back with a sigh.

 

“You know, Jay, I really enjoyed this party you three threw me. It was very refreshing after the stress I’ve had to deal with these past several days.” He sighed, gently stroking Mina’s fur.

 

“Yeah, I get what you mean. These two girls here really know how to cheer me and Nya up after a hard day of training.”

 

“You and Nya? Does she…?” He asked, and Jay chuckled.

 

“Yeah, we’ve had some fun with them. She was really open-minded and understanding given my sense of smell. I haven’t shared this with the rest of the team though, because, you know, it’s illegal. Lloyd might be interested, but I can't be sure.”

 

“I have a little test you could use with people you aren't sure about.” Pythor said, smirking. “Tell them you saw a news story about someone who was arrested for having sex with a feral. Make sure to mention that there were absolutely no signs of physical injury or fear on/in the animal, and that said animal was very affectionate and happy. If they don't focus on how the animal loved them, chances are they're against it, but if they think ‘as long as the animal wasn't hurt’ you may have a catch.”

 

“Dude, you are a fucking genius.” Jay said. “I am so using that. You mind if I hang out with you some more today? Maybe play some video games?”

 

“Not at all, buddy.” Pythor said, reaching over to give him a fist bump. “I think I’m really going to enjoy my time here. Oh, I just remembered, I was hoping to get your advice on Clancee."

 

"Uhhhh, sure, what about him?" Jay asked as he sat up.

 

"Sensei Wu has really been drilling me with training, and I am working hard, but… I was actually hoping I could go to… I think Chima is what my dad said the realm was. I was hoping I could go there on a dragon and find Clancee."

 

"I… don't think that's a good idea right now."

 

"Huh? Why not?"

 

"I miss Clancee too." He said and put a hand on his shoulder. "But right now you are terribly inexperienced with a sword, and you need all the training you can get. If you're really facing death if you lose, then I think Clancee would want you to wait."

 

“But I promised him I'd come to his realm and find him." He said and looked out the window. "It's already been about a month since then, and I haven't had the time or ability to because of Ninjago police raiding my brothers house, my probation, meeting with Skales, my nephew's birthday, and this training… I just… I hate keeping him waiting. Newt couldn’t go because he has college, Canicula is a full-time mom and restaurant owner, and my dad is still involved in a separate suit against Ninjago."

“Maybe you can try and write him a letter, explain the situation to him? Do you know where he lives? You can send mail across dimensions.”

“No, I don’t, but Aima might, she’s from the same village he was at. Maybe she knows someone there who does. I should have thought of this sooner.”

“I wouldn’t beat yourself up about it. For all you know, Clancee has a job or family there. If he does, I doubt he would have been able to just drop everything and move immediately.”

 

"You really think so?"

 

"I sure do." He smiled. "If you're any case about what happened with the sky pirates, then I'm sure Clancee remembered what happened as well, and he adores you. Clancee will understand. He risked his own life to save you before."

“Thanks buddy. I’d better get started on that letter, and get a hold of Erik so he can ask his girlfriend if she knows anyone there. If not, I’m sure Lloyd would be more than happy to go there and deliver it himself.” He said and got up, much to Mina’s protests, but she settled down when he came back with a clipboard and started writing.

Chapter 27: Training and Therapy

Summary:

Settling into his life as a ninja now, Pythor is put to training by Skales along with the Ninja. To the stubborn anacondrai, however, Wu's lessons make little sense. Thankfully, Terra is there for him to help him relax so he can focus more~

The sex in this chapter came much more easily to me. I'm really proud of this one. It does contain [i]slight[/i] incest though. I say slight like that because Pythor and Skales are like... fourth cousins, so they're hardly related. It may not even matter.

[June 4th, 2016 - 8:00 am]

 

"Hey, Pythor, how are you doing?"

 

He looked up from the dishes and saw Jay come over to lean on the counter.

 

"I'm doing fine. Why do you ask?"

 

"Well, I couldn't help but notice that the cut on your face is still looking a little rough. Are you feeling okay?"

 

"I've been keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get infected. I think I got it handled."

 

"Oh, good. I was worried that you'd end up with another scar on your body. I've gotten a couple myself ever since becoming a serpentine and… they haven't gone away."

 

"Yyyyyeeeeeah… that's what scars do. How'd you get them?"

 

"I got cut on my arm by a sword in the fire temple when we were fighting you and the other serpentine, and I got clawed by some… mechanical yeti and thrown into a wall. That last one wasn't pretty. It got bloody."

 

"Holy shit…"

 

"Swear." Wu said from another room, and Pythor stopped what he was doing to put a dollar in a jar.

 

"Right, I forgot he doesn't like us saying stuff like that in here. Anyways, yeah, I'm fine."

 

"You know, I got worried when you were scratched across your eye." Jay said in a lower voice. "I thought you were going to lose it."

 

"I'm just glad I didn't, I still think about that moment though. It was so scary." Pythor said, matching the lower voice.

 

"How come your healing magic hasn't healed your cut yet?"

 

"I try to avoid using it unless I really have to… plus it is a little infected and I used up all my magic on Wisp for the near future. Fortunately I think my shoddy immune system can handle it."

 

He put the last of the dishes into the dish drainer and slithered over to Wu. "Okay, I'm finished cleaning up the dishes. What did you want to see me for again?"

 

"I'd like you to come to the dragon stables with me. Jay, you can come too if you wish."

 

Pythor shrugged and followed him outside with Jay right behind him. They headed down to the dragon stables and stopped in front of Flare's cave.

 

"Flare? Could you come out please?" Wu asked, and there was a long pause before heavy footsteps were heard coming towards the opening of the cave. Flare stepped out into the sunlight and sat down, and Pythor couldn't help but notice the long scratch and bite marks across his sides, back, and neck. "Do you have something you would like to say to Pythor here?"

 

Flare looked to the side and grumbled before looking back to Pythor. "I'm… sorry I scratched you. I acted very rashly and aggressively towards you, and it was wrong to hurt you. I can't excuse or justify my actions, and I hope you can forgive me."

 

"Pythor? Do you accept his apology?" Wu asked and looked at him.

 

Pythor nodded. "Yes, I do."

 

Flare and Pythor looked at each other for a few moments before breaking eye contact, and Wu dismissed him.

 

"Are you and him really cool now?" Jay asked once they got out of earshot.

 

Pythor's smile fell and he looked at the ground. "Wasn't it obvious to you? Flare isn't really sorry. Wu made him apologize to me, so it wasn't genuine."

 

"You said you forgave him though."

 

"I just said what Wu wanted to hear. I don't think Flare, Fria, and I are going to be getting along anytime soon. I know you said that others here had their problems with me, and that I'd have to accept that though."

 

"Pythor, when I said that, I didn't mean that you would have to just shut up and take it. I don't want to see you get bullied here. You should stand up for yourself. After all the things you have done for us, you should be treated nicely and with more respect."

 

"I don't want to cause any trouble though. You heard what Flare did, he lied to Wu about what happened. Who's to say Kai, Cole, and Zane wouldn't lie also?"

 

"If they do, we'll stick up for you." Jay said.

 

"Thanks. I think I'm going to take care of the alicorns now, make sure I keep up on my chores. Is that alright?"

 

"Of course, see you later buddy."

 

[][][][][][][][][]

 

Pythor sat on his coils on a mat that overlooked the lush green valley deep in the mountain below. He held his hands together and rested them at his waist, and although his eyes were closed, his brows were furrowed and his breathing forced.

 

Stay in the moment, Pythor. Listen to the wind, feel it on your scales, hear the leaves rustling as it flows through them.

 

Try as he might to stay focused, his mind was too wild. As the wind moved over his scales, he thought back to when he was first learning to fly as a dragon. Wisp flew next to him, giving him instructions as the wind caught in his wings. He remembered standing with Flare on the ground, the fire dragon showing him how to flap his wings.

 

His mind wandered to Flare approaching him with fire in his mouth, of Flare burning Wisp, biting him. Pythor's eyes snapped open as he pressed a hand to his neck, only to sigh when he felt no bite there.

 

He heard footsteps approaching him, only to start walking away. "Don't worry, I'm done."

 

"Are you having trouble meditating?" Wu asked as he came over.

 

"No, not really. I wouldn't say I'm having trouble, I'm just new to it. My therapist recommended I try it to focus inward and all that and process my emotions, rather than letting them control me. I'll get the hang of it."

 

“If you require any advice, I am happy to oblige.”

 

"I guess. Well, my mind keeps wandering to negative thoughts when I was trying to stay positive. I thought meditation was supposed to be peaceful?”

 

“It is. It is okay to experience negative thoughts and emotions when you meditate. We experience negativity every day, but we don't have to let it overwhelm us, we can simply be aware of it and let it pass. I experience negative thoughts as well, and meditation helps me to process it, not ignore it. I'm not a psychologist though.”

 

"Well, you are the 'zen type'." Pythor chuckled as he pulled out a notebook and started writing stuff down. “My therapist said that documenting my thoughts from time to time could help me process them, but I think I'll make a note of what you said as well. Did you need something?”

 

Wu patiently waited for Pythor to finish writing before he spoke. "You've been practicing with a wooden sword for the past four days, and I know you have been wanting to spar for a while now as well. Today seems like a good day for it."

 

Pythor smiled and immediately jumped up. "Awesome! Let's get to it!" He slithered next to Wu as he twitched and clasped his hands together. "So, are we going to be using real swords?"

 

"No, we're going to be using bokken sticks to start small. How much experience do you have with swords and in combat?"

 

"Oh, I have plenty of experience with swords. I was trained very extensively with swords and staffs as a child and throughout my time as a prince by the best swordsmen in the kingdom. Arcturus trained me himself most of the time, and I enjoyed our sessions the most." He said. "As for combat, I've been in quite a few fights where I had to fight against someone using a sword."

 

"I see, then you should do quite well." He said as they entered the courtyard of the monastery. As soon as they got there, Pythor noticed Skales sitting on the deck reading a book.

 

"Uhhhh, hey Skales… what are you doing here?"

 

"Oh, hey Pythor. I got some time off so I'm here to help you train in physical combat."

 

"You got time off from being the king?"

 

"Yeah, Selma's going to be taking care of things while I'm gone. Say uhhh, before you get started training with Wu here, are you okay with me training you?"

 

Pythor blinked and scratched his head. "Yeah… I guess. I mean… I said I wanted us to be friends again. Did you come here without knowing whether or not I'd want you to?"

 

"Kind of. Do you not mind?"

 

"No, not at all. Sorry, I'm just surprised you're here, but it's good to see you again." Pythor chuckled. "Sensei, I'm ready."

 

Wu picked up a bokken stick and handed it to Pythor. "Zane, are you ready?"

 

"Yes, sensei." He said, and Pythor swore he saw him smirk. "Points are awarded upon disarming your opponent. Physical strikes on the body are permitted."

 

"Then let's begin." Pythor said as Wu grabbed his staff and readied himself. Pythor lunged forward, and in an instant he heard his bokken stick clatter to the ground.

 

"One point for Wu." Zane said and made a line on a chalkboard.

 

"You just got lucky." Pythor said and picked up the stick. "Let's do this again."

 

Wu did a "bring it" gesture, and Pythor rushed forwards again, thrusting the bokken stick forwards and angling it for Wu's shoulder. The spinjitzu master leapt back and swung his staff, knocking the bokken staff to the side and striking Pythor in his shoulder.

 

"Point." Zane called out when Pythor dropped the stick.

 

"I thought you said you were well-trained?" Wu asked.

 

"I am, it's just… it's been a little while." Pythor picked up the stick again and tried to focus on striking Wu's hand, only to be effortlessly disarmed yet again. "Can't you go easy on me?"

 

"No, the shogun will not go easy on you, and neither will I. In fact, I believe that the shogun will attempt to kill you during the duel, so I will train you how to survive. Let's go again."

 

Pythor sighed, but perked up when he got an idea. Pythor grabbed the stick and jumped into spinjitzu, only to feel a whack at the base of his tail, and he slammed face-first into a wall. Pythor fell back onto the ground and looked up to see Wu standing above him.

 

"A clever attempt at victory, however, the shogun nor anyone else will see your victory as legitimate if you resort to using spinjitzu to accomplish it. The duel will be fought using swords, so you must learn how to wield one again." He said as Pythor rolled onto his stomach and took his hand to get up.

 

"I'm telling you, I can do this."

 

"Impatience for victory will guarantee defeat. If you rush into the battle swinging wildly like a child with a stick, you will fail and lose your life. You must learn how to properly hold the sword, think through every move before making it, and be mindful of your own body."

 

Pythor groaned and picked up the stick again and went at Wu. He swung his bokken at Wu's staff, who blocked it and the subsequent strikes effortlessly with one hand. Wu jumped behind Pythor, who tried to keep up, but kept getting whacked on his tail and then smacked hard in the back of the neck.

 

"Ow! Geez, sensei!" He groaned as he rubbed his neck.

 

"Another thing of note. Your long tail is a large target, one that the shogun and the many enemies you may face afterwards will seek to exploit. However, your tail is also a part of you, a literal extension of your body, and you can utilize this in combat."

 

"I know that. I've done it before against you and the ninja, remember?"

 

"Yes, I do. However, it seems that you have forgotten how to fight utilizing this without practice. I am aware that you could not do this while you were imprisoned in Kryptarium, so King Skales here has offered to help you re-learn how to do so."

 

"This won't end up with me on my bum will it?"

 

"It is statistically very likely." Zane said, only to be silenced by a look from Skales.

 

"You might, but I'm confident that you will take to this quickly." Skales said. "As your sensei has just said, our tails are an extension of our body. They are composed of very strong muscles that allow them to be completely prehensile, usually able to completely wrap a person while still leaving a third for mobility. Zane, if you would?"

 

Skales slithered out of the way, and Zane held out his hand. Ice shot out from him and a tight array of ice pillars formed in the center of the courtyard. "Now, watch my body, pay attention to how I move." Skales darted forwards into the array, and weaved in and out through it several times, his tail never once touching a single pillar. "Now you try it. Remember, don't let your tail touch any of the pillars."

 

Pythor frowned for a moment before going in, but didn't even make it 5 seconds before he felt his tail touch an ice pillar. And, much like sparring with Wu, it just kept happening over and over.

 

"We move forwards by pushing off the irregularities in the ground and build off each motion to keep moving. That means that when we move our bodies, we can always know where our tail is going to be. Watch me do it again, then you try it."

 

Once Skales had gone through, Pythor tried it himself, but still ended up hitting an ice pillar and knocked it over. He kept going several more times, only to achieve the same result. "Ugh! I don't get it! I'm thinking through each movement, just like you said, but I still can't do it right."

 

"Maybe we should take a break from this for the time being then?"

 

"No." Pythor hissed and looked back at the array of ice. "I want to keep going until I get this down."

 

He went in again, only this time he knocked over a couple of ice pillars almost immediately and groaned.

 

"Pythor, there is no shame in stopping and coming back to this later." Wu added as he set the pillars up and tried again.

 

"Yes, there is. If I can't get this done and quit, it means I can't figure it out now. What is it that you often tell the ninja? 'Never put off until tomorrow what can be done today'?"

 

"There's a difference between quitting and taking a break. Quitting means you are giving up because you don't want to continue or are becoming complacent. Taking a break on the other hand means that you are intending to come back to something after allowing your mind to rest."

 

Pythor gasped when he remembered what he told Newt the month prior, and looked back at the ice array. He sighed and slithered away from it and over to them. "Fine, I'll stop. I need to talk to Nya about something anyways.”

 

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

 

"Hey, Nya, are you busy?" Pythor asked as he peeked into the garage of the monastery. "Nya? Are you in here?"

 

"Hold on!" He heard her yell and wheel herself out from behind a mech, and about 30 seconds later she climbed down from a ladder and lifted up a welding mask. "What's up?"

 

"How much do you know about weapons?"

 

"Hah! Do you know who you're talking to? I'm a blacksmith and I used to be samurai X. I know all about bows, arrows, spears, swords, knives, all sorts of stuff. Why do you ask?"

 

"Well, I was hoping to get a new weapon, and thought you might be able to help."

 

"Don't you already have a sword?"

 

"I do, but… it doesn't feel like mine, you know? I think I'd feel more connected to a weapon that is mine and that I made."

 

"I get what you're saying. Come on, let's go to the dojo." She said as she took off the welding mask and led him up to a room. "So, what were you looking for?"

 

"I think I've had a good experience with staff-like weapons, I think it's because of my reach. I've actually been thinking on this for a while, and I was looking for a guandao or a naginata like those there." He said, pointing to them.

 

"Hey, polearms are a great choice, they're very defensive weapons and can really control a battlefield." She said and took them off the wall to lay them in front of him

 

"I know," He said and scratched his head. "but I'm worried that I could encounter problems in tight spaces like hallways or tunnels, so I was wondering if it would be possible to make a collapsible weapon, something that could function as a polearm and a sword. Do you have any suggestions?"

 

"Hmmmm, I don't know. There's a reason why you don't see weapons that fold up or split apart, doing that usually compromises the structural stability of it."

 

"What if we used strong metals for it?" He asked with a smile. "Something that is rigid and doesn't deform under pressure, yet lightweight enough for me to hold and move around, both as a sword and a staff?"

 

"I suppose it could be done. I have an idea on a weapon I'd like that could collapse or telescope like that. It would be an interesting challenge."

 

"Yeah, I was thinking of some metals from metalonia, but we could also use anacondrai amethyst as the blades to keep it sharp."

 

"You should probably go with a naginata then if you want to use it as a sword, otherwise the blade would be too heavy and cumbersome."

 

"I guess. That's what I was leaning towards anyways."

 

"The blade will have to be a unique shape though. Would you mind if I drafted some designs and show them to you and see what you like?"

 

"No, not at all. In fact, do you think you could make it? I don't know how easy it would be for you to do so alone, since I doubt Kai would be interested in making me a weapon…"

 

"Don't worry about my brother, I'll handle it, and no, I'd be happy to help you."

 

"Thanks, Nya, I appreciate it. Say, mind if I ask you about something else?” She shook her head. “I'm taking a break from training at Sensei Wu's suggestion, mainly because I kept getting angry at how I wasn't able to get through the training without failing. When you were training, did you have any moments like that?”

 

"Oh, definitely. When Wu was training me, I hated failing. I was a natural blacksmith, fighter, map-reader, and mechanic, so when I encountered difficulty in doing a task, I'd want to give up immediately and fall back into my comfort zone of being samurai X. Failing made me feel inadequate, weak, and stupid, but those failures helped me learn and succeed. I was able to embrace failing and see it as a learning opportunity, and I think you can too."

 

“Thanks. Maybe I can think on that when I'm meditating, doing so with a fresh mind. I appreciate the help.”

 

He left the garage with a wave and went outside, heading towards a small forested section close to the monastery. He slithered down some steps, and partway down, he slipped and grunted as he hit several steps on his side.

 

“Better watch your tail, things can get icy with how high we are.” Fria stepped out from between some trees with a smirk on her face.”

 

“Ugh, what the hell was that for, Fria? Are you trying to give me a concussion?” He groaned as he got up.

 

“Fuck no, I'm trying to get you to leave. You don't belong here.”

 

“Fria, please. I don't want any problems, I just want to train so I can win that duel and help people.”

 

“You can help on your own. I don't want you around Zane or my children. It's bad enough that my kids had to see their father on death's door.”

 

“Your mate attacked me for apologizing to him!”

 

“Yeah, and he made it clear that he didn't want to talk to you! For someone that's soooo respectful of others, you sure let it slip when it comes to others' space.”

 

“You're right.”

 

“What?”

 

“I should have just left him alone. Trying to force him to forgive me was wrong and aggravating him only made things worse. I'm sorry for how badly he got hurt.” He sighed. “I promise you I won't hurt Zane or your children, but I can't stop seeing them. Your daughter is amazing at chess, and I love playing with her. I feel like that's a great interest to cultivate.”

 

“Just get out already."

 

“I'm not going to do that, Fria. I have things I need to do.”

 

“I'm not going to stop.”

 

“I hope you will. I hope we can get along.”

 

“Don't count on it.” She said, and he sighed as she walked away.

 

[][][]

 

A short while later, Pythor and Skales sat in chairs on the former's deck reading books while basking in the sunlight.

 

“Hey, thanks for coming up to help me train, Skales, I really appreciate it.”

 

The hypnobrai looked up. “It's no problem, thanks for letting me. I'm still ashamed of how I treated you, and I just wanted to make it up to you by being a good friend.”

 

“Well, I'd say you're doing great. It's just nice to be able to hang out like this. I missed these times. When you and I and the other generals would hang out with each other underneath Ninjago City. Do you remember those nights when we sat around a campfire in the sea of sand?"

 

"Yeah, we must have spent hours just gazing up at the stars. That was amazing."

 

"Yeah, I'd like to do that again with you and the others sometime."

 

"I'm sure I can get away from my duties for a night or two again so we can.” He said and looked up when he heard wings flapping.

 

“Hey, Frosty. How are you doing?” Terra asked, landing just off of his deck.

 

“Oh, I'm doing alright. How about you?” He said, smiling at her.

 

“I'm doing great. I heard from Lloyd how some of the other ninja aren't being nice to you, and I wish that they would be.”

 

“Well, I'm just glad that I have friends here, and that I can count you among them.” He said, and gently rubbed her chin, making her growl softly.

 

“Hey, Frosty?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I thought of a way it could help you with something. If you're interested,” She said and turned around to lift her tail, showing him her wet slit. “Follow me~”

 

She took off flying, and Pythor immediately jumped off to turn into a dragon. He jumped into the air and soared after her, pumping his wings to catch up to her. He saw her landing next to an enormous lake, and immediately paused in the air.

 

“Terra, what is this?”

 

“It's me helping you with your fear of lakes and such. I figured you doing something you love near it could help you overcome that fear. I know you're already excited about it~” She said, and he glanced down to see his cock poking out of his slit. “What do you say?”

 

“I… I dunno… I-”

 

“Maybe he needs to see it for himself~” Skales said, flying down next to Pythor as a dragon too. “Mind if I have a go with you?”

 

“Not at all. Sorry, Pythor. I guess you'll have to settle for sloppy seconds. Unless you like that~” She said, and turned to walk into the water somewhat. Skales landed and followed her in until they were both knee-deep in the water.

 

He glanced at Pythor with a smirk and lowered his head to her slit to begin licking at it. Terra shuddered and lifted her hindquarters up more, and he took the opportunity to lick even deeper in her. Pythor landed and saw his deep blue cock sliding out of his body, already twitching.

 

“Come on ahhh… come on in, Pythor, the water's fine~” Terra said, licking her mouth. She grinned at him and flicked her head, and he looked at the water. Did he really want to get knee deep in that just to lay with Terra again?

 

He sniffed the air, shuddering at the alluring scent of Skales and Terra beginning to mate with each other.

 

Fuck it.

 

He tentatively stepped into the water and sat down in the muddy banks, muscles tensing as he almost bolted at the cool sensation against his scales, but he stayed still. Terra turned her head towards him and lifted a paw to stroke at his cock, briefly making him melt at how great her paws felt against him.

 

His eyes closed partially as she gave him a big, long lick from the base to the tip, and sighed when she continued it. He glanced over to the side, watching as Skales's large dragon muscles moved him in and out of her, his blue scales pressing tightly to her brown and orange ones.

 

Skales had his eyes closed as he hugged Terra's back tightly, and it reminded Pythor of how he took her the day after they had first joined each other. If Skales could be at ease in the water, why couldn't he?

 

Pythor eased back slowly into the water, letting his back slide into the muddy banks under the water. He felt Terra putting her paws on the inside of his hips, and groaned as she took his entire cock into her mouth. He opened his eyes and looked down at her, and shuddered at the feral gleam in them.

 

Terra immediately started bobbing her head on him, growling softly as she took him all the way to his base. Fuck, her mouth was so warm, and with Skales bumping her forward each time he hilted her, he slipped into the back of her mouth, but she held no worries.

 

Pythor panted deeply as she twisted and turned her head, curling her tongue around him and using her claws to rub inside his slit. He groaned each time she rubbed his sensitive flesh, rubbing the most sensitive spots that she clearly hadn't forgotten.

 

“You look like you're really enjoying that, Pythor. I'll have to get some of that when I'm done with her.” Skales said, panting himself as he continued to rock Terra into the mud.

 

“Fuck… make sure you… fuck… holy shiiiiit, Terra… make sure you… fucking do, buddy.” He grunted, grabbing at the mud as she rubbed him more forcefully and bobbed her head even faster. She was so fucking good. He could already feel himself tensing up, his loins churning with fresh seed.

 

Terra took him deep to the base, licking inside that sensitive flesh, and he grabbed her head and clenched his eyes shut. A deep, gutteral roar filled the valley for miles as he painted the inside of her mouth white. She swallowed as much as she could, stroking him with her tongue, but had to pull back to groan herself as a “pop” filled the clearing. Skales released his own gutteral roar and bit Terra's neck, blood dripping down her scales as he marked her.

 

Pythor gently got to his feet and moved back to their hips, watching as Skales turned around until his hips were pressed to hers. Pythor could feel his cock tensing up at the sight of Terra's slit doing the same. She panted deeply, as a small trickle of clear juices rolled own her scales, the rest of their fluids being trapped by Skales's knot.

 

Pythor laid down between them, nuzzling up between their rumps and sniffing deeply, grunting at the powerful scents they had. He almost wished she was in heat, just so he could breed her again.

 

He gave them a lick, Skales shuddering as Pythor teased his knot root. He continued to do this for the 50+ minutes they were knotted, even driving Skales into a second orgasm and giving Terra's belly a slight rounding.

 

Skales eventually pulled away, his knot stretching her entrance until it popped free with a string of cum connecting them. Pythor didn't even waste a second. As soon as she was free, he reared himself up onto her back and pushed inside her, and growling at how hot and wet she was, thanks to Skales’s double orgasms in her. He hugged her backside, and relished in the feeling of her tight, hot walls wrapped around his spire. His paws found their way to her sides and he rubbed her, softly stroking her smooth scales as he licked at her neck.

 

She curled her head back to lick at his mouth. He smiled and closed his eyes as he pulled back to the tip, then slid right back in. Terra sighed into his mouth, and pushed back into him when he took his right paw and caressed her chin. She opened her mouth and licked into his, wrestling with his tongue even as he thrust into her and made her moan.

 

Several seconds later, he pulled back and nuzzled her neck, allowing her to lower her head to give the hypnobrai-turned dragon a blowjob as she had promised. Even as she began to make him squirm, she continued to push back into Pythor, only to cry out with a powerful thrust from him that drove Skales’s cock into her throat. He held her tight, feeling her tunnel twitching around him and tugging against him when he went to pull out for another thrust.

 

Pythor blew smoke out of his nostrils as he kept thrusting in and out of her tight and slick passage, made all the easier by the load of cum Skales put in her. He took his forepaws off her shoulders and wrapped them around her torso, leaving him hugging her as he pressed his head to her neck. Terra panted as she bucked back against him, her tongue effortlessly curling around Skales’s cock as she deeptroated him.

 

Skales wasn’t even looking at them, he had his neck stretched all the way back with his eyes closed and his tongue hanging out. Pythor chuckled as he watched the general and king squirm, the most powerful serpentine in all the land, rendered powerless by a sexy earth dragon giving him oral.

 

Pythor grinned and bent his hips, driving his shaft all the way to the hilt, and drawing a short screech from her mouth as her eyes clenched shut. He moved his paws to rub at her belly, pulling her into his thrusts even more, and he hissed at the feeling of her walls clenching down on him. He could tell she was getting close given how she was beginning to “stroke” him with her walls, even if subconsciously.

 

His chest warmed at hearing such blissful snarls and screeches coming from Terra as she let him mate with her again. She had given so much for him during his time at the other monastery, making him feel welcome even before he mated with her, and when she had let him do so… He couldn’t help but give a warm smile down to her, even if she couldn’t see it. He licked and nibbled at her neck as he thrust in faster, rocking her into the mud beneath the water and leaving deep gouges in the ground from her claws. Terra lowered her forelegs to the ground, unable to hold herself up against his rough, yet passionate thrusts as she panted heavily around Skales’s cock.

 

The hypnobrai roared once again as he humped upwards into her mouth when her ministrations became too much, splashing the water as he filled the inside of her maw with his salty cum. The earth dragon was caught off guard and nearly choked on his cum, but still managed to muster enough control to diligently swallow most of the ropes he fired into her, pulling back to let the rest land on her face.

 

Her growls and snarls became stuttered and broken as he fucked her as hard and fast as he could. Loud, wet slaps echoed out as their hips hilted on every thrust, and her walls fluttered around him as he pressed against her clit. Pythor could feel the pressure building up in his crotch as his knot started to swell. Not long after, he felt her clamp down on his cock as her of juices coated it and his scales. He leaned harder into her, pushing her so that her chest was flat against the mud and took her neck into his teeth as he pushed his rapidly growing knot into her, her slit bulging open bit by bit.

 

Her body started milking him and begging for him to cum in her. He couldn't take it anymore and thrusted inside of her one final time, his knot pushing the folds of her slit apart until it popped inside her with a wet noise and tied them together. He ground as deep as he could in her until the tip of his cock pressed right to the opening of her cervix. He tilted his head high and roared even louder than before, a jet of blue fire leaving his mouth as his loins tensed up, and he began unleashing a deluge of cum deep into her womb to mix with Skales’s. Each contraction of her pussy was again timed perfectly with a pulse of his cum. Spurt after spurt filled her up, quickly rising out her tunnel, only to be held back by his knot.

 

He panted and nuzzled her neck as he trembled, the feeling of bliss percolating through his body keeping him twitching inside her while her passage shuddered around him. He could feel her belly growing as he continued to fill her up, and gently stroked her all the while.

 

"Holy shit… I've never… been fucked… that hard in my life…" Terra panted.

 

“Oh, so I’m second-place?” Skales asked, holding a paw to his chest.

 

“Yup.” She said, and he lightly splashed water at her face, to which she stuck her tongue out at him.

 

“I don’t think I even fucked Sally that hard.” He panted and nuzzled her before turning around so that they were tied ass-to-ass as well.

“Hey, you better treat her as great as you’ve treated me during the time we’ve known each other. You have something special with her, and I don’t want to hear about you neglecting her in favor of me or anyone else, got it?” She asked while pointing a claw back at him.

 

He nodded with a smile. “I will. I’ll make sure to give her a really good time the next time I see her. You can count on it.”

 

[][][][][][][][]

 

Half an hour later, he was still tied to her, his cock occasionally tensing up as a spurt of cum would shoot into her. Pythor sighed as Skales licked them like he had, and he could feel his cock tensing up the more he did it.

 

“Aaahh… ahhh fuuuck…” Pythor grunted, lifting a hind leg as the mini-orgasm he had resulted in more cum filling up Terra. “That was good, Skales.”

 

“So, how are you feeling about the lake now?” He asked.

 

“Honestly, really good. I'm still somewhat apprehensive, but I think that I can go around them more now.” He said. “Terra, I'd really like to thank you for this, and for letting me mate with you when I first showed up.”

 

“Aw, you don't have to thank me. It's the least I could do.”

 

“No, I really do. Even in those first few weeks while I was being cared for, I still felt like an outsider, and I was afraid I'd let slip who I really was. You were so nice to me, comforting me even before you went into heat, and when you did, you let me under your tail and give you eggs. I can't thank you enough for raising them too.”

 

“I could tell that you were hurting, I just wanted to help.”

 

“You really did. Although we didn't end up as official mates, I really think you helped me heal enough to where I felt comfortable getting into a relationship with Sally. I think if we hadn't mated, I probably wouldn't have been interested in taking her on a date.”

 

“Well, I'm glad we did then. It was a really great time.”

 

“Don't I know it~” He said, and stepped forwards, feeling his knot tug against her for a moment before it popped free, cum splattering against their scales.

 

“Man, it sounds like it was a really fun time.” Skales said, watching Terra's slit ooze cum.

 

“Oh it was, Pythor and Wisp here both knotted my slit at the same time and filled me up so much I looked like I was pregnant.” Terra said, nuzzling them both.

 

“Yeah. I can cast a magic spell and show it to you later. I still remember it well. In fact, I'll never forget it.”

 

Pythor smiled at Terra and gently caressed her face, kissing her deeply, with her opening her jaws and reciprocating him. He pulled back after several seconds, and she kissed Skales the same way.

 

“Say, Wisp and Selma were okay with this, right?” Pythor asked, looking between them.

 

“It was actually his idea. In fact, since you responded so well to this, maybe you and he can try it for your ombrophobia?” Terra giggled and growled. “He's really excited about the idea of taking you from behind during a thunderstorm after your talk with him earlier this week.”

 

“Selma and I have an agreement about who we get intimate with. Sadly, I almost always do this stuff in private and out of the public eye. I am the king of our country, and being seen having sex with some human girl or a fox on the beach isn't exactly a good image for diplomatic relations.”

 

“Fucking prudes…” Pythor muttered.

 

“Tell me about it.” He sighed. “But, that idea about thunderstorms sounds great. Wisp could prevent you from getting struck with his elemental power, and just imagine how his cock would feel buzzing inside you with the charge in the air.”

 

“Ehehe… I'll think about it. But… I don't like the idea of lightning striking near me.” He chuckled, stepping back some. “You know, this lake is really pretty. I never would have thought so before, but… I think it is now. Terra, thank you so much for encouraging me to come here.”

 

“Hey, a little therapeutic sex never hurt anybody.”

 

“Except you when you pushed my eggs out.”

 

She giggled at that, lifting his heart. “Touché. Come on, why don't we fly back and watch a movie?”

 

“Sounds good to me.” Skales said.

 

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[June 11th, 5:00 pm]

 

"Woah…" Pythor gasped at the sight of the training course in front of him.

 

Wu had taken him out to a forest in the mountains, and in it was an obstacle course that featured swinging logs, nets, ropes, hoops, clubs, axes, and more.

 

"This course has been tailor made for you. Your task is to make it through without making contact with any of the obstacles. If you do, you will be required to start over from the beginning. Do you understand?"

 

"Yes, sensei."

 

"Then begin."

 

Pythor rushed forwards and jumped over a bar and leapt between a couple of hoops, only to get knocked into a net by one of the swinging logs. He went back to the beginning and tried again. He made it farther this time, but yelped when a bunch of moving ropes suddenly tangled up the middle of his tail and left him dangling in the air for a few moments.

 

Pythor grunted when he hit the ground and rushed back to the beginning. However, every time he attempted the course, he ended up failing it. Whether it be getting pinned by a net, knocked over by a log, slamming his face into a hoop, or a hard foam ax, he kept failing.

 

"Sensei, I don't get it. I keep going in but I just can't make it through. I don't know what is wrong with me but I just can't beat this. It's impossible."

 

"Impossible, you say? Lloyd went through this himself an hour ago and passed it on his first try."

 

"I'm sure he helped build this. He probably knew how the obstacles worked.'

 

"Actually, he did not. Zane, Skales, and Cole helped construct this course. This course can be beaten."

 

"How? I just can't see any way."

 

"And that is your flaw. Do you remember when I had you perform chores on your first day?" He asked, and Pythor nodded. "You can learn a lot about someone from the way they clean. I noticed that you rushed through your tasks in the hopes of getting to spar with me later in the day, however, in doing so, you left tasks poorly finished and did not even start some."

 

"You have a tendency to look at and tackle problems head-on. When you encounter difficulty in a task or situation, you suffer from tunnel vision and hyper-focus on it. You do not look for any alternative solutions, and overlook the answer that is right in front of you."

 

"And what is that answer? Please, tell me." Pythor asked.

 

"The answer is to watch, and listen. Did I say that I was timing you on this course? Did I ask you to complete it as quickly as possible?"

 

Pythor opened his mouth, but his voice caught in this throat when he realized he never did. He just told him that he had to make it through the course without touching any obstacles.

 

"I told you that Impatience for victory will guarantee defeat. If you rush through your training, you will not understand the lessons and will be left unprepared. You must remain calm and centered. Observe the obstacles. Watch and listen before moving forwards, and you will succeed."

 

"Okay, Sensei, I'll do it." He said and started over. Now, his eyes weren't focused on the finish line, they were watching the swinging logs. As soon as he saw an opening in them, he took it and rushed forwards. "Alright, what's next again?"

 

In front of him were a bunch of ropes stretching and moving across a bunch of hoops, making an ever changing lattice. He watched how the ropes moved, and smiled when he saw a split second where there was a straight path forwards and took it.

 

He kept going, jumping through overlapping hoops, sliding underneath ropes low to the ground, dodging axes, and burst through the rope at the end.

 

"I did it! I did it, sensei!" He yelled as he jumped up and down, and Sensei Wu chuckled as he walked over to him.

 

"Yes, you did, and I am quite proud of this. Come, let us return to the monastery. Nya and I would like to perform some more training with you."

 

Pythor flew up with Wu on his elemental dragon to the courtyard of the monastery, where a bunch of pillars and hoses had been set up around a red circle. Wu landed in the courtyard and waited until Pythor had slid off before dissipating it and walking over to the red circle.

 

"Since you had learned the lesson from the obstacle course so readily, I decided we could reinforce what you have learned today. Your task is to stand inside the red circle for two minutes without getting wet… while blindfolded."

 

"Of course there's a catch…" He sighed and took the blindfold Nya gave him and put it on. "What about any water that ends up on the ground?"

 

"We won't be counting that. Are you ready?"

 

"I guess. Let's get started."

 

"Okay. Three, two, one, begin." Nya said.

 

Pythor weaved his body around, but instantly got sprayed twice on his neck and back.

 

"Two seconds. Return to the center and you can try again." Wu said, and Pythor lifted the blindfold for a moment so he could.

 

Wu counted him down this time, and Pythor tried to last longer, only to get sprayed by three nozzles at once. On the next attempt, he managed to avoid getting wet for a full 6 seconds, but then got knocked onto his back by a torrent of water hitting him in the chest.

 

"What? Nya, was that you?" He asked as he sat up and took off the blindfold, and saw her grinning.

 

"I figured I'd join in on the fun, add a layer of unpredictability so to speak."

 

"At least you're having fun. How am I supposed to dodge these jets of water if I can't even see them?"

 

"Remember, you may not always be able to see clearly in a fight, and you will need to be able to rely on your other senses to survive." Wu said.

 

So he had to rely on his other senses, like sound, smell, and touch. He went back into the center of the ring and put the blindfold on, then took several deep and slow breaths before he nodded. He was counted down once again, and heard a slight hiss come from his right side. Immediately, he bent over backwards and felt the water fly over him.

 

He stiffened for a split second and jumped to the left and felt another jet of water pass him, then jumped and got the same result. Then he got hit.

 

"Ack!" He took off the blindfold and started slapping the side of his head. "Nya! You got it in my ear!"

 

"Oh, sorry about that." She said and came over to him to hold her hand up to his ear. He sighed when she pulled out the water and looked back at the water array. "I think you're starting to get the hang of it. You want to keep going?"

 

"Yeah, I probably should. I only have about two weeks left until the duel. I think I noticed something during that test though. Let's do it again."

 

He went back in and readied himself with a smile on his face, his heart pumping as he was counted down once again. He heard the hiss and dodged the jet of water along with the next three. He landed on the ground and lied flat as every one of the jets fired. They started shooting water out like a multiple hands moving on a clock, and he twisted and weaved his body around as he figured out the pattern.

 

There! Shoes against the cobblestone, right behind him! He curved his body and let Nya's attack pass him by. A hiss on his left sounded odd, and ducked underneath the water that surged past him.

 

"Time!" Nya called, and Pythor took off the blindfold with a grin on his face.

 

"I did it, didn't I?"

 

"You sure did, Pythor. You're learning fast. I think you're going to do just fine against the shogun, and become a valuable member of the team."

 

"Thank you sensei. But I'd like to keep training until then. Oh, that reminds me. Could I perhaps have the day before the duel off for myself? Given the circumstances of the duel, I think it would do me well to rest in the company of my family and close friends before traveling to the wild woods. Plus I can schedule an appointment to see my therapist again."

 

"Hmmm… very well, you may leave the afternoon two days before the duel."

 

"Thank you, sensei."

 

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[June 20th - 2:00 pm]

 

Lloyd swung at Pythor with his sword, and he jerked his neck back to keep himself from getting cut.

 

"Remember Pythor, watch my movements. See how my shoulders move, how my knees flex, where my feet are. It's the small details you gotta watch out for."

 

"I know, but it's… kind of hard… to do that when you're… trying to avoid getting killed." He said as he dodged blows and made his own. Pythor took a deep breath and struck back at Lloyd, feinting and sliding to his unprotected side to slash at him. Lloyd jumped over just enough for Pythor's sword to snag on his clothes and make him stumble forward. "Oops, sorry."

 

"Hey, it's okay, good thing that wasn't a real sword or that could have actually hurt me." He said and readied his sword again. Pythor noticed his left knee flex and quickly raised up his sword to block Lloyd's strike while punching him in the chest, sending him backwards this time.

 

He rushed forwards and struck, angling his sword sideways and striking the base of his blade. Lloyd struggled to hold onto it and Pythor twisted his wrists, swiping again and knocking the sword out of his hands.

 

"Woah, you've gotten good over these past few weeks. You're really picking up."

 

"I think it's more about re-learning what you already knew. Kind of like riding a bicycle, even though I can't." He said and chuckled. "You okay if I go for a quick slither before we go again?"

 

"Sure, I'll get us some iced teas."

 

"Thanks." Pythor said and left the courtyard to head towards the dragon stables.

 

He smiled as we went into Gale's cave and saw her laying in her bed, her muscles tensed up and her claws gripping the edges of the bed and Crest's hand. "Hey, are you feeling okay?"

 

"Nnngh… not quite. I think I'm about to lay these eggs. You know, it's kind of funny. I thought I was ready to have them, but for the past couple of days, I've been feeling tense and my heart has been pounding. I know Wisp and Crest here are going to do their best, but… what if we can't give all of the kids equal attention? I'm having these kids outside of what is normally nesting season for us.” Pythor slithered closer to her and put a hand on her claw, and she chuckled. "I'm kind of scared."

 

"It's okay to be afraid or feel doubt about yourself when you're having children for the first time." He said as he transformed and sat down next to her. "I remember when my wife Xiuh told me she was pregnant, I felt terrified, more than I ever had been in my life at that time. Neither of us were planning to have kids at that time, and I wasn't even out of my teens."

 

"You were that young at the time?" Crest asked.

 

"Yeah, and my wild teenage mind hadn't thought to use any kind of protection spell, although I don't think I knew any at the time. Xiuh was a little older than me at the time, but still young herself. Thankfully she had her parents to help out, but it was still stressful for both of us. I knew that if a member of the royal family, which I was a part of, knocked up someone from the lower classes, the outsider was to be killed so the royal family would not be bound to provide financial support to them and avoid any public backlash."

 

"What did you do?'

 

"Xiuh wanted to keep the eggs instead of crushing them, and I couldn't bring myself to destroy them either. I made sure I was there when they hatched, and… I was so glad that we kept them. They were the sweetest babies I could have ever asked for. I was afraid that I wouldn't be a good father towards them, but I tried to make sure I was there enough for them as they were growing up and had enough saved up for them to live off of."

 

"It sounds like you were a good father." She said and grunted as she sat up and knelt forward. "I… ngh… think i-it's time."

 

He looked back towards her rump and then at her, and held his paw out for her, which she grabbed with Crest's as she grunted again. She began tensing up and squeezing their paws tightly as she began to lay.

 

A wet squelch could be heard behind them followed by a soft rustling, and he knew that the first egg had been laid in the nest. She opened her eyes for a moment and looked at him with a smile. He smiled back, and rested his head against her neck, which she pressed against his as she tensed up again. Her pants grew heavier as she squeezed down on him again, and another rustling came from behind them.

 

"Halfway there, Gale." Crest said.

 

"I know." She whispered back. "I… never knew this… would be so tough."

 

"Xiuh and Terra said they felt the same way." He said, but went quiet when she groaned and pressed her neck hard to him. She tensed up again and squeezed the next egg out. "Just one more."

 

She nodded between pants and breathed heavily for a moment, then groaned again several times. They heard the last egg settle in the nest, and Gale released them to lie flat against the bed as she caught her breath.

 

They were a shimmering teal color and looked like they were covered in dragon scales, and Pythor couldn't help but match Gale and Crest's smile as they both looked at them. A warmth filled his chest when she nuzzled them and then smiled at him.

 

"Thank you for being here for this, Pythor. I really, really appreciate this." She said as he sat down next to her. She leaned up and gently licked his snout, and he nuzzled her back.

 

"Should I go get Wisp?"

 

"Yes, please, and Lloyd as well, but not the other ninja. I'd rather not have a bunch of eyes on me right now."

 

"I understand. I'll be right back then." He said and left to head to Wisp's cave bed. "Hey, buddy, are you here?"

 

"Yeah?" He said and picked his head up from his pillows and yawned. "What is it?"

 

"Gale just laid her eggs. I figured we should let you know."

 

Wisp immediately perked up and stood up. "Really? She did?" Pythor nodded, and he smiled as he went out of the cave.

 

Pythor then went to the monastery and walked around until he found Lloyd practicing with a sword on a bamboo pole. He motioned for him to come outside. "Gale just laid her eggs, and she said she wanted you to see them."

 

"Really? That's great news! What do they look like?"

 

"Well, they look really nice. They're this beautiful teal color and they're really shiny, although the shininess might be because she just laid them."

 

"Gross." Lloyd chuckled as they made it to the room. "Hey, Gale. Pythor told me what happened. How are you feeling?"

 

"Better now that I got them out. I had Pythor here to help me through it, he was very supportive."

 

"Thanks, Pythor." Lloyd said and went over to them. "Can I touch them?"

 

"Sure, I just cleaned them off." She said, and Lloyd smiled as he touched the eggshells with his hands.

 

"I can feel the energy inside them as well. I think some of them are going to have Wisp's element."

 

"You're serious about helping us with this… right?" Wisp asked, looking at Pythor.

 

"Of course. I'll help any way you need." He said.

 

"If it's alright, could Wisp, Crest, and I have some time to ourselves?" Gale asked. "I just wanted you to let Lloyd know what was happening.

 

"No, you just laid your eggs so we're going to stay here and not give you room to breathe as we oogle over them." Lloyd said, and Gale smirked.

 

"Get out of here."

 

"See you later, Gale, and you're going to be a great mother." He said and went outside with Pythor. "Hey, thanks for being so supportive and generous towards Wisp and Gale. I know we have a charity fund set up for some of our supplies, but… this is really nice of you."

 

"You don't have to thank me, buddy. I just want them to have a good, long life."

 

"Well, thanks to you, they will." Lloyd said. "So, you want to go back to training after we have our iced teas?"

 

"Mmmm… no thanks. I think once we finish them, I'll challenge Sensei Wu to a duel."

 

"You sure?" He asked, and Pythor nodded.

 

A short while later, Pythor knocked on a door and was invited in, where he saw Wu sitting on a meditation carpet. "I think I'm ready."

 

"Very well, let's see how far you have come in your training." He said as he got up.

 

Pythor donned his father's armor and met Wu outside in the courtyard with the other ninja watching. He drew his sword and positioned himself. "Don't go easy on me. I want to show you I can do this."

 

"I wasn't planning to." Wu said and readied a sword.

 

"Alright, begin!" Lloyd said.

 

Wu leapt forward and thrust his sword towards Pythor, who ducked to the side and swung at him. Wu blocked it and ducked down, and jabbed the base of the sword into Pythor's stomach.

 

He grunted and slithered back as a hand went to hold it. He heard rapid footsteps and his eyes widened, and he instantly raised his sword and a clang rang out as Wu struck it. Pythor pushed Wu back and swiped at the side of his sword, but he held on firm and swiped downward.

 

Pythor weaved to the side and arched his tail upwards when Wu leapt forward and tried to slash it, and whipped it behind him as he kept going. He swung at Wu and kept going, trading blows and watching his shoulders and elbows to see where he'd strike next.

 

Wu's right shoulder and elbow dipped back and Pythor leaned back to dodge, and immediately slashed hard to the right at the base of the blade. It clattered and skipped across the ground, and Pythor pressed the sword to Wu's neck.

 

"Congratulations, Pythor." Wu said as Pythor lowered his sword and bowed.

 

"Thank you, sensei. I'm going to keep practicing with this sword of course, but I think I'm ready to face the shogun now."

 

"Yes, I think you are as well, and I have faith that you will succeed."

 

“Damn right I will. And I have you to thank for it.”

 

“Swear.” Wu said, and held out his hand.

 

“I'm taking back my thanks.” Pythor grumbled, fishing a dollar out of his wallet.

Chapter 28: The Duel

Summary:

The final day before Pythor's duel with the shogun has arrived, and several of Pythor's friends and family members have shown up to support him and help him relax and prepare. Before he knows it, he meets the shogun for their long awaited clash before the whole world.

[6/26/16 - 9:55 am]

 

Pythor slithered into his room and locked the door, then cast a silencing spell. He sat at a desk in the room and opened his laptop, then clicked a link in an email. 

 

"Hello, Jesshema." He said once the call went through and smiled at her. She smiled back and sat coiled up in a chair as she looked at her notebook.

 

"Hello, Pythor, how have you been? It's been quite some time since our last session."

 

"I've been… okay for the most part. Sorry for the delay, I've been very busy training for this duel coming up. Have I told you about that?"

 

"I think you have, yes. So, you said you've been doing okay. Is there anything you would like to get off your chest?"

 

He sighed and looked towards the door for a moment. "Adjusting to being a ninja hasn't been as easy as I thought it would be. There are some who aren't happy with me being here, and they have not been shy about their opinions."

 

"How so?"

 

"Well, they've mocked me when I've had to clean up after me, I've heard them muttering about me probably slipping poison into their foods, they've given me dirty looks, and one of their dragons even scratched me on my face when I tried to apologize to them for something. My boyfriend almost died protecting me. I just don't get why they can't forgive me, even after everything I've done to make up for my past."

 

"Well, it can be very hard for some people to forgive, especially when they feel that they have been wronged."

 

"Yeah, I know all about that myself."

 

"Have you attempted to find any common ground or interests with the ninja?"

 

"Yeah, I've tried to get into baking with one, but he hasn't been interested in doing anything with me. Another one who is really smart isn't interested in learning about history with me, despite the fact that we both like reading. A third, he apparently thought it would be hilarious to play the recording of an air raid siren in my bedroom.”

 

He sighed and put his head in his hands. “I don't know what to do. They've made it repeatedly clear that they don't want to interact with me. I wish I could just stop trying."

 

"Do you want to?"

 

"Of course not…" He hissed and looked down.

 

"How have you interacted with them when they have given you trouble? Have you continued trying to reach them, have you broken off when they have given you resistance, or…?"

 

"I've… usually gone away when they have given me trouble. I don't want to make them upset."

 

"You said that you thought that joining the ninja would be right for you, correct?" He nodded. "If you feel that way, do you think that focusing on your own feelings by avoiding confrontation would strengthen your relationship with them, or would you feel better if you continued in the face of it and tried to work with them?"

 

Pythor tensed up for a moment and held his hands together as he thought for a moment. His conversations with Kai, Zane, and Cole usually didn't last for more than a minute before he left. Then there was what Jay said, that he should stand up for himself and not be treated this way.

 

"I think I should try to work with them more. If I just keep going away when they get annoyed with me, things aren't going to change and we won't get along." He said, and Jesshema wrote something down in her notebook.

 

"It seems like you're becoming more insightful now. I've also noticed that you've been filling out your journals quite often. How has that been working for you?"

 

"It's actually been working really well for me." He said and smiled. "After I started filling that out, I've noticed how often I get upset about things and what exactly gets me upset. I've also been using it for my phobias and war triggers as you may have noticed."

 

"Yes, it really does sound like it's benefiting you."

 

"Yeah! Three weeks ago I went out to a lake with my girlfriend and a friend, and we had sex in it. Then we went back the next day and had a picnic, and I found myself much more at peace in such a relaxing environment.”

 

"That's very good. How has your meditation been going? You expressed an interest in that in an email you sent to me."

 

"It's going good for the most part. For a while I hadn't been able to really focus on it due to negative thoughts coming to the front of my mind and disrupting me when I was trying to be relaxed, but my sensei helped me to realize that negative experiences are just a part of who I am, not all that I am." He said and smiled more. "I'm really learning a lot from him."

 

"That's good as well. Do you feel like your medication is helping you in your life?"

 

"Oh, definitely. I've noticed that I'm more outgoing and willing to… go out. I don't know how to describe it but I feel better now. I am running low though. I'll need to make a call to my psychiatrist soon."

 

"Did you have any other questions or concerns for me?"

 

“I'm missing Clancee. It's been three weeks since I sent him that letter, but he hasn't sent one back, not even after I sent another one a few weeks ago. Cross-realm mail isn't that slow. I'm worried something has happened to him.”

 

“Your duel is in two days, correct?” He nodded. “Then it is my recommendation that you wait to travel until after the duel is over, perhaps until you recover from any injuries you may sustain. Your health is more important, as is your duel considering the international attention it is receiving.”

 

“I know, I can't help but worry though. I miss him.”

 

“I understand. But you've done all you can. It's good that you took the initiative and reached out to him, but right now the situation is out of your hands. It's important that you approach the duel with a clear and level head, that way you are most likely to survive and can travel to see him.”

 

“Alright, I can do that. Thanks for your help. I don't have any other questions or concerns.”

 

"Okay, I'll schedule our next meeting for July 15th. Is that okay with you?"

 

"I think so, yes. I'll see you then." He said and signed off and left his room.

 

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[1:00 pm]

 

Pythor stood in the courtyard of the monastery, practicing swinging his sword and performing a combination of jabs, thrusts, and slashes when he heard a knock come from the large doors at the front. He slithered over to open them and gasped when he did.

 

"SALOME!" He cheered and immediately hugged her, spinning her around before setting her back down and kissing her.

 

"Woah, someone sure missed me." She chuckled and straightened her clothes.

 

"Of course I missed you! I haven't seen you in a month!"

 

"We just did a video chat last week."

 

"I know, but it's different in person. You look beautiful today!" He then noticed everyone else and the three dogs standing behind her, all with smiles on their faces. Skalidor, Fangdam, Acidicus, Eratos, Raven, and his parents. "Oh, uhh… hello, everyone. It's nice to see you too."

 

"Do you two need a room?" Arcturus asked, and Maera lightly pushed him. "Hey, I'm just asking."

 

"Come on in, everybody." Pythor said and waved them in so they could set down their stuff.

Soren and River sniffed at Erin and Mina, poking their noses at their bellies and growing teats. Erin in particular was half bouncing around Soren, who was also jumping and licking her mouth.

 

Pythor looked up for a moment and turned to Skalidor. "Hey, Skal, I thought you said you wouldn't be able to make it, that you had a house contract you needed to complete?"

 

"Oh, I thought I wouldn't be able to make it, but it turns out my clients overheard me talking about the duel that you had with Chokun and told me they'd be fine with me taking the next 2 or 3 days off to give you support."

 

"That's very nice of them. You'll have to let me know how I can contact them so I can thank them." He said, and Skalidor nodded.

 

"I didn't think you'd be able to make it either, Eratos. I thought you would be busy with work?"

 

"Well, after what you did for our place, I had to be there for you in your duel. King Trimaar and Prince Benthomaar encouraged me to go when I asked them if I could. Prince Kalmaar… he wasn't as… enthusiastic."

 

"Well, I'm still glad you're here.” He said, and turned to the other blue merlopian with him. “What's your name?”

 

“Ah, I'm Astra. Eratos here is my nerd big brother.” She said and elbowed him, grinning when he glared at her with flushed cheeks. “I came here because he wouldn't stop gushing about you, so I had to come and see what all the fuss was about.”

 

“Astra…!” Eratos groaned and covered his face.

 

"Oh, you're Dr. Catasteri, right?" Nya wondered. “Pythor here has talked so much about you.

 

"Ah, hello, hello, yes. I am, but I don't like being called ‘doctor’, much too formal for me. It is a pleasure to meet you." He said and shook her hand before moving on to the others, stopping at Zane. "Oh wow, who are you?"

 

"My name is Zane Julien."

 

"You don't look like the others, are you mechanical?" He asked and moved his magnifying glass over his eyes.

 

"Yes I am, I am a fully functioning and autonomous nindroid."

 

"Oh I simply must meet the one who created such a unique being such as yourself."

 

"Unfortunately, he is no longer with us." He said, and shot a glare at Pythor, who flinched and rubbed his head.

 

"-Uh, we brought the ingredients you asked for. Where would you like them, Pythor?" Acidicus jumped in as he held up some bags.

 

"You can put them in the kitchen. Thanks man, I really appreciate this. I promise we all are going to have the best day today. I'll get this stuff put away, and then we can go have that picnic. You must be starving.”

 

"That sounds good, my sister and I love picnics." Eratos said. "But, uhhh… where are we staying?"

 

"I know where I'll be staying~" Salome said with a smile that got Pythor's heart racing.

 

"Gross…" Kai whispered, but was promptly elbowed in the side by Nya, and Pythor suppressed a snort when he saw that.

 

"The couch in the recreation room can turn into a futon bed. We also have another guest room, but I don't think we have enough beds for everyone to have their own." Misako offered.

 

"I guess I can have the futon." Fangdam said, with Pythor translating.

 

"Eratos, would you mind sharing with Fangdam here?"

 

"Oh… ummm… I'm not exactly comfortable sleeping around strangers. No offense to you… ummm Fangdam, but… I can't sleep while wearing these legs, so…"

 

“Ah, you can sleep in the caves. There are a few since Gale and Crest, and Flare and Fria have hooked up, and I share a couple caves with my mates and kids. I think there's enough beds for everyone as long as you're okay with doubling up. You can still have your own room Era.”

 

“Alright, good.” Maera jumped in almost immediately. “You mentioned your kids, can we see them?”

 

Arcturus's grin matched his wife's. “Yeah, we want to see our grandbabies!”

 

“Alright, alright, come on. I can lead those who are staying in the caves to them as well.” Pythor chuckled.

 

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“Come on, they're right down this way.” Pythor said after pointing the others to their caves, his tail doing waves from all the hopping he was doing.

 

Arcturus and Maera were both matching his grins, even if not his energy. Salome, however, was right by his side and holding his hand, almost having to jog to keep up with him.

 

He led them into the cave, and crooned when he saw Terra and Wisp watching a show with the kids. The two dragons immediately stopped as he came over to them and hugged them.

 

“Look at them!” He grinned, picking up his kids and showing them off.

 

“Awwww, they're so pretty!” Arcturus said and came over, slowing down once Pythor blocked him and Maera with his tail. “I can't believe we have two more grandchildren, honey!”

 

“I know! They're so cute. Can we hold them, please?” Maera asked.

 

“Sure, but uhhh… just… please be careful. Please don't drop them. I-”

 

“Pythor, we didn't drop you or your siblings after they hatched. We'll be careful, we promise.” Arcturus said and smiled.

 

Pythor hesitated for a moment, and carefully gave one of his kids over to him, and the other to his mom. As soon as he had, both of them held them close to their chests and cradled them.

 

“That's your grampa, Hope. It's grampa.” Pythor said, putting his arm around Arcturus.

 

“Grampa.” Hope babbled, and Arcturus quietly squealed.

 

“They're already talking? Why do they have to grow up so fast?” Maera asked.

 

“It's just how dragons are. We're the same way for our infancy, but I feel you.” Pythor said and sat down, still mostly watching his parents fawn over the baby dragons.

 

“Hey, Terra, Wisp, it's nice to see you again. It's been too long since we saw each other.” Salome said, leaning over and hugging the two dragons. “How have you been?”

 

“Busy.” Wisp immediately answered, drawing laughs from everyone in the room. “Being a full-time dad is a lot of work.”

 

“Tell me about it. All of our kids found tons of ways to get into trouble and drive us crazy. Pythor included when we looked after him.” Arcturus added, causing Pythor to stick his tongue out at him.

 

“I know it is. Skalidor and my sister tell me all about it. Still hoping to have some of my own with Frosty here, though.” She said, making his heart race and a smile form.

 

“I hope so too, but I still have to beat the shogun first. Once I do, though, I reckon we'll have a nice sum of money to raise… maybe a couple more kids. I'm not earning any income right now, and I know you have your vet practice, but I'd like to have a source of income, not a lump sum.”

 

“Oh, speaking of your vet practice, is your new clinic going well?” Terra asked.

 

“Definitely. I can't tell you how much of a relief it is to be able to treat pegasi, hippogriffs, and other animals in a sterile environment with my colleagues. How about you, though? Any new contracts?”

 

“Yeah! I've been asked by Cyrus Borg to develop a website for his company's family science program. I'm really looking forward to it.”

 

“That's great to hear, love, I'm happy you got such a great client.” Wisp said.

 

“Me too…” Pythor sighed, until Terra's scaled hand covered his, and he intertwined his fingers with her.

 

“What do you say we head out to that picnic now? I think we could all use it. Plus, I'm really starving.” Terra said.

 

“Yeah, sorry. I forgot how long it's been. Gushing over your kids will do that. Let's head out.”

 

[][][][][][][][][][]

 

A short while later, Pythor, and several others went down the slope to the stables and headed inside. Pythor went over to a pegasus and gently rubbed her neck. "Hello Mabel."

 

"Wow, these horses are really pretty." Salome said as she came over to join Pythor. Mabel sniffed at her and then blew out a puff of warm air, fogging up her glasses and making her laugh. Pythor smiled when he heard it and felt his heart flutter.

 

"I know. I've been waiting to do this with you for a long time, Sally. I'm just glad we finally have an opportunity here."

 

"Yeah, between my earlier injuries and your false probation, we've never had one before."

 

"Well, I'm going to take you to a really beautiful place that I think you'll love."

 

“How do I get on these animals?” Eratos asked.

 

“Ah, it's pretty simple, just put one of your feet in the stirrups and hoist yourself up using the horn at the front. Try to do it in one fluid motion if you can, it's easier on the horse if you do.”

 

“You sure you want to take these? I've heard your noses are strong, and these girls are uhhh… fertile?” Astra asked.

 

“Eh, I can ignore it if I focus on it. Besides, I'm not going to act on it, it's illegal.”

 

“Only if you get caught.” Eratos said and fist bumped Pythor, only to almost fall off. He blushed once he caught himself and lightly 

 

"So, is there anything special you wanted to do there?" She whispered with a wink.

 

"Nah I've missed you so much, and I just want to spend time with you. I missed you the most. You're the one I want to be with today."

 

"Well, that's alright, I appreciate the thought." She said before squealing as Pythor held up an arm and lifted her up in front of him via magic. "Hey! I could have gotten on myself!"

 

"I know, but hearing you squeal like that was hilarious." He laughed and wrapped his arms around her stomach and pressed his chin to her neck. "Mmmm, you smell lovely." She shuddered when he flicked his tongue again and trailed it along her neck. "You better get moving, the others are waiting."

 

She blushed more and flicked the reins, and Mabel started moving down the mountainside and took off into the air.

 

"You know, I really missed you sweetie, talking with you on the phone just isn't the same." He said and hugged her tight. He could feel her relax in his arms, and longed to feel her like that every night for the rest of their lives.

 

"I missed you too, it's so good to see you, and you look like you're doing well. How has training been going?"

 

"It's going great, Lloyd, Nya, Jay, and Sensei Wu have been very helpful in training me. Kai, Cole, and Zane? Not as much."

 

"Why not?" Acidicus asked from beside them.

 

"You really have to ask?" He replied.

 

"I was hoping they could get along with you. Zane has been very helpful with me organizing and finding books for the library, but if you, Arcturus, or Maera had any information you could give, maybe he would appreciate it."

 

"I doubt it. How have you been doing with the library though?"

 

"Still doing alright. Would you mind if I used you as a reference? I'm applying for the museum curator in Smooth Stone."

 

"I'd love to."

 

"You're so nice." Salome said and pulled Pythor's head over for a quick peck on the lips, and he smiled more before giving her a quick kiss back.

 

"You know, I'm really glad you all are my friends. I don't think I'd be in as good a place as I am now if I didn't have you all."

 

"Thanks, Pythor. We really appreciate that." Acidicus said and magically pat his back.

 

"Yeah, you're cool too. We don't judge you." Skalidor added, doing the same.

 

"You know, for all my training, I'm still a bit scared about the duel tomorrow. You really think I got this?"

 

"I know you are sweetie.” Salome said. “You apply yourself in ways that I've never seen before. You've told me about your training and how much this means to you." She said and held his head to kiss him.

 

He smiled and closed his eyes as he hugged her and kissed her back. "Thanks sweetie."

 

"You're going to kick that Shogun's ass tomorrow." She said, and he smiled even more.

 

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

 

They soon arrived at a small clearing in the mountain trees, and they all slid off their mounts, and immediately began setting up the picnic mats. Salome in particular went over to help Terra with the kids, and they immediately began tugging on her pant legs.

 

“Awww, can I help you?”

 

“Uppy!”

 

“Mind if they sit in your lap while you eat?” Pythor asked, joining them as he picked up one of the kids. “I'm hoping it's just you, and that they won't do this for other strangers.”

 

“I understand, and sure, I don't mind. I hope I can get some drawing done though. This view is amazing.”

 

“Mind if I sit here and watch you draw?” He asked, passing her a sandwich and a bunch of sides.

 

"Thanks, love. You really want to just watch me draw? Isn't it boring?" She asked and looked back at him.

 

"'Boring'? Hell no! I get to see you in your element. You make such amazing drawings and I get to see you make them! Plus, I have a great view here."

 

"Yeah, Mt. Wojira is really pretty." She said after taking a bite.

 

"I wasn't talking about the mountain." He said, and smiled when she looked back at him with a blush.

 

"You know, I never thought anyone would be interested in watching me draw. Usually they're interested in the finished project and 'ooh' and 'aaaah' it."

 

"I don't know why. Art is a process. You can't just throw paint at a canvas and expect to have a masterpiece instantly. You gotta sketch stuff out and make lineart first, see what colors work well with others, etc."

 

"Thanks, I appreciate that you think that way of me and my art." She said and kissed him on the cheek, and his heart fluttered away.

 

"My parents always thought my drawings were a waste of time. They said if I had time to do that, I had time to do my schoolwork. They actually tore up all of my drawings and threw them in a fire one time."

 

"Holy shit…" Skalidor whispered.

 

"That's fu-messed up." Pythor said and came over to put a hand on her shoulder. "My parents felt the same way about my paintings. They set mine on fire too."

 

"Really?" Salome wondered.

 

"Yeah, they really did. One at a time too, so I had time to watch them all crumple up into smoldering paper. I got them back by ripping up 2.5 meter tall portraits of myself, them, and their parents and vaporizing them. They were so furious, especially my father. He beat me with his staff so hard he broke my arms."

 

"My god… that's horrible…" She said and leaned over to hug him, and he didn't even realize how tense he was until she wrapped her arms around him.

 

He sighed and did the same to her, resting his head on her shoulder. "It's okay, I'm out of that life now, and my father is rotting inside the cursed realm. Thanks mum and dad.”

 

They winked and gave a thumbs up.

 

"Still… imagining that is just…" She tried to say, but trailed off.

 

"I know, thanks for caring though. It means so much to me." He said and looked over to Skalidor. "How are your parents doing?"

 

"They're doing alright. Delta is trying to get Slough to retire and he just doesn't want to stop making stuff. He loves making things."

 

"Sounds like me to be honest.” Eratos chuckled.

 

“Definitely like you.” Astra elbowed him. “Mmmmm, this food is delicious. We don't often get great-tasting food like this in Merlopia unless we're on the surface. We're really missing out.”

 

“Thanks. We're lucky Jay's parents knew some great places to stop for food on the way here.” Raven said.

 

“Well, Skalidor, it's good to stay busy with your hands. I think staying sharp like he is is good for reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease." Pythor paused and put a chin to his hand for a moment. "Hey, you're friends with Cole, right?"

 

"Yeah, why?"

 

"We haven't exactly been getting along, and I'm trying to find things that we both like so we can bond or something. Do you know what he likes?"

 

"Well, we sometimes go to the gym together and work out, although we don't get to do that too often since he's often training here. He really likes volunteering with the search and rescue group I set up. He's also a fan of rock music."

 

"Alright, thanks. I think I'll talk to him when I get back. Hey, Sally, did you want to help with dinner?"

 

"Sure, I'd love to!" She said with a smile.

 

"Hey, Fangdam, could I talk with you silently for a moment? It's private for you." He asked, and they nodded. Pythor immediately started signing, while others engaged in their own conversations. "Have you talked to your brother lately?"

 

"No, we haven't really talked to each other in years. The only time of note was when I told him to stay the hell away from you."

 

"Okay… ummm… well, recently I ended up meeting with him, and he seemed afraid and regretful of what he said to me."

 

"You met with him? I thought you had a restraining order against him? Won't that void it?"

 

"It wasn't intentional, and there were extenuating circumstances. Anyways, he actually seemed sorry for what he said to me, even being afraid of and apologetic to my dad."

 

"Why are you telling me this?"

 

"I can't believe I'm saying this but… I actually believe him. I was wondering if I should contact his lawyer and talk to him. I know you have your problems with him, but I was hoping to get your advice on whether or not I should."

 

"That's really up to you. I'm not going to tell you that you shouldn't go see him or not."

 

"Really?"

 

"Yeah, it's your choice."

 

"If you don't mind me asking, why aren't you two close?" He wondered, and Fangdam sighed and looked at the ground. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

 

"Fangtom is the reason I can't talk. He's also the reason I have two heads." He said. "When I was 39, I had a book he wanted to read, but I hadn't finished it and he tried to take it from me. We got into a fight and I ended up falling onto a banister or railing, and… I lost my voice."

 

"Oh, I'm sorry."

 

"He bullied me a lot when we were kids. That's why I don't like being around him."

 

"He told me he'd do anything to give you your voice back." He said, and Fangdam looked up when he said that. "Maybe you could also meet with him sometime?"

 

"I don't know."

 

"Well, anyways, thanks for hearing me out. I'll find time to meet with him." Pythor said.

 

"You're welcome."

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

 

Alright… here goes… Pythor thought as he went to the gym in the monastery, and saw Cole on one of the fitness machines lifting weights. "Hey, Cole."

 

He could practically hear him swear under his breath from across the room. "Pythor."

 

Now it was his turn to sigh. "Cole, can we please try to get along? I know you were against me joining, but I'm a part of the team now, so we're going to be sticking together for the foreseeable future."

 

"I know. Doesn't mean I have to like it, though."

 

"Well, I doubt Sensei Wu is going to like you and the others antagonizing me at every waking moment, so I think you should stop that." He said and leaned against a wall. "I found out that you and I actually like a few things."

 

"I doubt that." He said and stopped working out to look at him. No doubt he wanted him to leave, but Pythor wasn't going to back off this time.

 

"Really? Then I guess you don't love to play the guitar, or eat sweets?"

 

"You play the guitar?"

 

"Yeah, didn't you see the case for it when I came here?"

 

"I thought it was just for a hobby of yours, not something you're really serious about."

 

"Well, it is. I mainly play for myself and my friends. Of course, I play the acoustic guitar, while you do the electric one. I've wanted to try the electric guitar, but I've never liked needing to be connected to a source of power to play it."

 

"Well, that's just how they work. You need an outlet, a generator, or a battery to connect to the amplifier. It's not like an acoustic guitar where the hollow chamber resonates the sound. Besides, aren't you scared of loud noises?"

 

"Certain kinds of noises, but yeah, I know." He paused for a moment. "I heard from Skalidor that you love volunteering for his search and rescue group."

 

"Of course he'd tell you that."

 

"Cole, Skalidor is his own person and you can't control what he says. I asked him what you liked, and he told me this. I think it's very great that you're willing to put your time out there like that. That's also the reason why I joined the ninja, so I could help save lives. In fact, that girl you saw me sweep into my arms? I saved her life."

 

"How?"

 

He pointed to the scar on his left collarbone. "See this? She was being attacked by a cougar and fell down a ravine after her horse was scared off. It came after me when it saw me and it shrugged off an arrow wound. It bit me right here and slashed me on my face and shoulders, and I had to kill it."

 

"Woah… that's pretty gnarly." He said, and Pythor saw him smile a little.

 

"Yeah, has anything like that happened to you?"

 

"Not really. Mountain lions usually avoid people, although it's not easy now due to us encroaching into their habitat. The closest thing I've had was probably when we were searching for a stranded hiker and accidentally ended up between a mother bear and her cubs. We had to run."

 

"I've been there with the bear instance plenty of times. Turning invisible doesn't hide you from your scent. Any time I've gone out into the woods I'm always looking to make sure I don't end up between them."

 

"I miss doing that stuff with Skalidor, he's really cool about keeping people from getting hurt. I love watching his rescue and treehouse shows."

 

"Yeah, it's really great." Pythor said, smiling more now. "Say, do you want to make dinner with us?"

 

"I can't be near water, or any kind of fluid for that matter."

 

"Yeah, true. Would you be okay with watching then? That way you could learn how to make some stuff without burning it. I'd be willing to show you. Salome can even help."

 

"Sure, I guess."

 

Pythor led him to the kitchen where Salome had already started getting ingredients from the pantry.

 

"Oh, hello Cole. Are you going to be joining us?"

 

"I guess. I don't really have much else to do. I'll probably just watch though, since I can't get wet. What are you making?"

 

"We're going to be making chicken fettuccini alfredo, macaroni and cheese, and sautéed carrots and broccoli." Pythor said, licking his mouth at the thought of it. "Have you ever made this before?"

 

"Not really. I've made mac and cheese from a box though."

 

"What if I told you you could make mac and cheese without needing to do it from a box? It's good in my opinion, but it's much better if you don't use the cheese powder that comes from it."

 

"I don't know how to."

 

"Come on over then," He said and waved him over. "this is something you can do without needing to worry about getting wet. You can grate the cheese while I get the pasta boiling."

 

Cole walked over and took some of the cheddar cheese that Pythor pointed him to and started grating it.

 

"Oh, don't do it so hard. The larger the cheese pieces are, the harder it will be for them to absorb into the noodles. It's better to do it fast and light." He said as he poured them and the fettuccini for the alfredo into separate pots.

 

"How do you know so much about cooking?" Cole wondered.

 

"My wife taught me how. Well, she did along with Maera and my big sister."

 

"You were married?"

 

"Unofficially, yes, but… it ended too soon." He sighed. "If it hadn't been for them, I wouldn't have survived in the wilderness after I was banished."

 

"Oh." He said and looked at Salome as she cut some chicken. "Pythor told me he got bit by a mountain lion saving your life."

 

"He sure did. Me and Xion came across it by accident when it slid down a slope and startled her. It thought she was attacking it and so it attacked us. It bit me on my brachial artery and I fell down a ravine."

 

"Isn't that a major artery? How did you not bleed out?"

 

"Well, it's thanks to this handsome fella right here using his tail to keep pressure on the bite wound." She said, and Pythor smiled as he looked at her. "He also got me to stay still and calm, and it's a good thing he did since I had fractured a couple vertebrae. He wouldn't leave my side until help came, and if it weren't for him, I would have died then."

 

Pythor's heart warmed as he went over to make the roux for the mac and cheese, and it was lit on fire when she cupped his chin and pressed her lips to his mouth. He immediately put the salt and pepper down and wrapped his arms around her, partly to keep himself from falling to the floor.

 

Finally, after several moments, they pulled away from each other and he panted. "Well, I couldn't leave someone as beautiful as you to suffer." He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and remembered that Cole was in the room, and saw that he had shredded the cheese. He immediately slithered back and washed his hands again. "Ummm… sorry."

 

"You're fine. I had no idea you did something like that. When was this?" He asked as he set the cheese down.

 

"About a few weeks after I ran away from Garmadon's monastery. I was actually hiding out in the woods where it happened and saw her falling off the path. I was so scared."

 

"Well, I'll admit, that was pretty cool of you to do, especially since it meant exposing yourself to law enforcement when you were trying to hide. You got points from me on that."

 

"Thanks, Cole." Pythor said, and stepped to the side so he could show Cole more cooking tips.

 

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"That was an amazing movie, Sally. Where did you find it?" Skalidor asked as he finished drinking his glass of whiskey.

 

"I found it at a movie store a while ago. I figured it would be a great thing to watch with you all."

 

“It was beautiful…” Pythor said as he wiped his eyes and looked at his prosthetic arm. “I couldn’t believe that dolphin was able to survive without her entire tail fluke. You did an amazing job making that prosthetic for her, Eratos.”

 

“I'll say. You and Astra were great in that movie! How did you do it?” Fangdam asked.

 

“Ah, I don't think I could explain it quickly enough tonight. I'm really tired. I'd recommend watching the documentary if you want to know. I explain a lot in it.” He said between yawns.

 

"Well, I'm getttttttING tired…" Pythor said through a yawn and got up. "Is everyone who's going with me tomorrow all packed up?"

 

"Yeah, pretty much, we didn't take much out." Skalidor said.

 

"Well, we'll see you tomorrow. I'm going to get a shower." Salome said with her own yawn and got up. Pythor smiled as he watched her walk away and licked his mouth.

 

"I think I'll get a shower too. I want to be spick and span for tomorrow." He said, and quickly got up to follow her after switching the tv back to satellite tv.

 

He slithered down the halls and caught up to Salome just as she was heading into the bathroom.

 

"Oh, did you need something, Pythor?"

 

"Mmmm, more like want. I was wanting to take a shower with you. I know this one is big enough for both of us~" He said with a smirk and put a hand on the doorframe.

 

"Oh… really? Well uh… it… would be the most economic thing to do, instead of us taking separate ones." She said as her cheeks flushed. She started playing with her hair, and Pythor smiled as he leaned in closer.

 

"Dear, I don't care about the economics of it. I just want to be with you~" He said and whispered in her ear. "I've missed the feel of your body and the sounds that left it the last time I played with it. So what do you say we play that song again?"

 

Salome shuddered as he licked her neck and flicked her ear with his tongue, and immediately wrapped her arms around him. Pythor pressed his mouth to hers and pulled her into the bathroom as he slipped his tongue inside her. He flicked the door shut with his tail and got to work removing her shirt while she did the same for her bra.

 

He pulled back after several moments, panting some as he gazed at her body and caressed her chin. "God, you're so beautiful."

 

"I'm not even fully naked yet." She said as she leaned back against the wall and took off her boots and socks.

 

"I know. Let's take care of that shall we?" He said and kissed her again, this time rubbing her breasts and drawing a moan from her as she undid her belt and slid her jeans off along with her underwear.

 

Her body shuddered when he moved his hand down, trailing it along the smooth skin of her belly and to her thighs. He pulled out of the kiss and panted as he slid a finger to her slit. "Ready love?"

 

"Yeah-SHIT!" She said, and Pythor looked to the side to see the bathroom door slamming shut.

 

"Lock the damn door, man!" Kai's voice yelled.

 

"Why don't you knock, dude?!" He yelled back and clicked the lock shut with his magic. "Sorry about that."

 

"You want to keep going?" Salome asked.

 

"Oh I am not letting Kai ruin this for me." He said and slipped a finger inside while he licked her breasts. "I love you too much for that."

 

"Eh, he'll get over it." She said and sighed as he licked and kissed his way down her belly. "OH…mmmmmmm…"

 

He glanced up at her and smiled as he licked inside her pussy while keeping her spread with his fingers. She put her hands on his head and he closed his eyes, loving the feel of her hands brushing along his scales. He slipped his tongue in deeper and firmly rubbed it along her walls as he held him still, as if he was going anywhere. One of his hands left her pussy and went around to squeeze her butt, and she pressed herself into his face more.

 

"Mmmm, you certainly know how to use that tongue if yours~"

 

"Have you forgotten how I can use this already? Maybe I need to give you an experience you'll never forget~" He opened up his jaws even more and added a finger to double-team her insides with his tongue. She moaned even louder, and Pythor turned on the tub faucet with his magic to dampen the noise somewhat.

 

"Ooo-okkay… I remember now." She said and squirmed as he licked faster and kept rubbing her butt.

 

"Still, better make sure." He said and chuckled as he added another finger, moving his tongue and fingers to her clit and circled it with them. "Mmmm, you taste divine."

 

"I-It's not li-like it's syrup ooor watermelon or-or something."

 

"Don't ruin this." He added and squeezed her clit with his fingers, making her buck into him. He could feel her getting more active around his body, and he knew if he kept going like this, she was going to squirt all over his face. He licked faster and faster, fingering her deep and hard, and made sure to stay close to her so that he could finish her off.

 

"Fuck… fuck Pythor… mmmm… I'm so close… Pythor… Pythor!" She squealed and covered his mouth and his snout in her juices.

 

He pulled back and sat down on the fluffy rug in the room, panting just like she was as she smiled down at him. "Get in the tub." He immediately agreed with a smile and slithered into the tub, half of his tail hanging out due to his size.

 

Salome climbed in after him and immediately sat overtop him. "I'm not going to wait for you to recharge after you blow in my mouth, so I'm taking you now."

 

"No complaints here~" He said and leaned back with his arms behind his head as she put one of his cocks at her slit, and ground against it. "Mmmmm… I can't wait to hear that song from your lips."

 

"Then let's get to it~" She said and slid down onto him, both sighing as his cock parted her body. "Mmmm… I still love how warm you are. This probably wouldn't feel as good if you were cold-blooded."

 

"Yeah… fuck, it's been too long since we've done this. Far too long." He said and pressed his hands to her waist, relishing in the smooth feel of her skin as warm water filled the tub. "Maybe you could turn on the shower head?"

 

She reached around and did just that, allowing the warm water to hit their bodies and roll down skin and scales.

 

"You look so amazing, Pythor." She said as she sat on him and trailed her hand over the scales on his chest. "You were right, I do love how you look now that you've shed. This shade of purple is just so beautiful, and these black and yellow patterns are just so cool."

 

"Well, purple… mmm… is the color of r-royalty." He said, moaning as she started to lift herself on him. "Mmmm… we better… fuck… make this fast… the monastery is on a rainwater catchment system."

 

"Oh, shit. Yeah, we better do that." She said, and panted as she got to moving at a steady pace, and Pythor thrusted his cock into her to match. "Fuck… it's definitely been too long since we've done this."

 

He nodded and leaned back against the tub as he ran his hands over her. He just couldn't keep them still. He had to feel every curve, every muscle, and every bit of skin on her body. He smiled when he heard the soft breaths that left her body as he did, and he could feel her quivering around him when he hit certain spots.

 

Salome moaned as he kept thrusting into her and shifted herself so that she could grind against his shaft that rubbed up against her insides, as well as the one that kept brushing against her belly. She smiled and lifted herself up off him, making him open his eyes when he felt the cool air touching his cock, only to close them when sweet, blissful warmth enveloped the tips of him.

 

"Fuck… you really love getting dp'd." He breathed as she slid down onto him again, his large shafts spreading her pussy and ass. Both of them were already so wet and lubed up that he had no trouble pushing himself in until he could feel her skin kissing his slit. He reached forward again and squeezed her butt, and she moaned as she pressed even more firmly against him.

 

Salome leaned against his scales and gyrated her body against him as they bucked against each other. Pythor held her tight and closed his eyes, his tongue spilling out of his open mouth as her hot, smooth walls slid over the ridges on his cocks. She was squeezing down on him, and she hugged him tight as well as she began to ripple more.

 

A loud moan left her mouth, quickly being muffled by a kiss from Pythor as wet squirts covered his cocks. As her movements slowed, Pythor started hammering into her even faster, bouncing her on his body. She held onto his shoulders, her bright green eyes gazing into his, and he put a hand on her chest.

 

His other hand was quickly grabbed by hers, their fingers interlocking as he leaned his head forwards, kissing her gently now. His thrusts between her legs were anything but though, his cocks slapped against her butt and her crotch with a sound that filled the room, each hilting pulling a moan from Salome's mouth.

 

His cocks started throbbing inside her, each one getting harder than the last, and he slipped his tongue inside her mouth as he sped up for the last several thrusts. A deep groan came out of him as he moved his left arm to hug her tight, holding her still as his cocks tensed and started shooting cum deep into her ass and womb.

 

A few minutes later, they both pulled out of the kiss, deep, slow pants leaving their mouths as white streams slowly trickled out from her holes.

 

"Don't… kiss me… for… that long… again, I don't… want… my stud… suffocating."

 

"You're… one… to talk. You enjoyed… it." He said and squeezed her butt.

 

"Come on, let's actually get cleaned up before we get yelled at for wasting water." She said, and pulled off of him, allowing large drops of his seed to drip onto his body.

 

“Yeah, that's a good idea.” He chuckled as he got up and slithered out for her.

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[June 27th, 11:25 am]

 

Pythor gazed down at the wildwood forest from Wisp's back as he and Terra flew in for a landing. They touched down in a small parking lot next to a trailhead and he slid off. He took a deep breath and made sure that his father's armor was fastened correctly.

 

"Pythor?" Wisp said once they did, and Pythor looked at him. "I know you're scared, but I've seen you training. You got this."

 

“Damn right you do. You're going to kick his tail.” Terra agreed.

 

"Thanks, you two. I'll make you proud." He said as he slid off and went to hug his and Terra's heads.

 

Wisp chuckled and closed his eyes for a moment as he pressed a paw to Pythor's back. "You already have."

 

Pythor pulled away from him and slithered over to the parking lot, where a couple of people sat next to a news van and got up when they saw him coming.

 

"Hello, Ms. Gossip, Vinny." Pythor said and reached out to shake their hands.

 

"Ah, you finally made it." The reporter said with a smile.

 

"Sorry about that. I had family matters to attend to." Wisp said and rubbed his head.

 

"You're alright buddy." He said and turned back to Gayle and Vinny. "Glad we left early though and met up here. That main parking lot was packed. It would be so embarrassing if I was late to my own duel."

 

"True enough. Say, would you mind answering some questions for us while we head to the arena?" She asked.

 

"Ummmm, sure, I guess. You're not going to get super in my face are you?"

 

"Oh, good heavens no, we don't do that. Trust me, one broken bracket for braces was one too many in my career."

 

"Cool, by the way, thanks for asking instead of doing it anyway. Let's roll." Pythor said and started moving.

 

"You heard the man, Vinny, and we're live!" She said after Vinny got into position. "This is Gayle Gossip for NGTV News, channel 7 reporting in with the duelist himself, Pythor Acryla. Pythor, why have you challenged the shogun to a duel? What are you hoping to accomplish?"

 

"I challenged the shogun to a duel because of their cruel treatment towards me and my family. I know that I have performed heinous actions against the people of Ninjago and Quetzalcoatl, actions that I am deeply regretful of having committed, but no one should have to suffer the things that they have done."

 

"Can you elaborate? What exactly have they done to you if you don't mind us asking?"

 

He sighed and looked down for a moment as he tried to keep his voice steady. "After I was arrested following Sköll's defeat, I was shoved into a cell with a diameter no larger than 4.26 meters, about the length of two California king beds. I wasn't allowed to see the sun, the moon, or the stars for 10 whole months, and most of the time I had no idea what hour or day it was."

 

"There were some days I wasn't even fed. They starved me, gave me no privacy, or medical care. One day, I ended up eating undercooked meat and got a bad infection that put my kidneys at risk of dying, and it almost killed me."

 

"And you said they refused to give you medical treatment for this?"

 

"Yes. They said that it was because I was a terrorist and deserved to suffer like that. I wouldn't wish that on anyone though. I have seizures because of it. How this connects to the shogun is that the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to imprison and torture me because of actions that I was forced to follow my the scribes of destiny."

 

"Who are they?"

 

"They are people from a realm known as the Cloud Kingdom. They write down what they interpret as destiny and what they write is what happens here. The emperor and empress refused to accept such a belief however, and ordered the assassination of Justice Hitoshi."

 

"The chief justice? How do you know this?"

 

"I can't confirm my sources, but I do have proof. I was also led to believe that I was to be kept under probation by Ninjago and Quetzalcoatl, but it turned out that Ninjago booked me on false charges when they realized they couldn't get me for the original crimes they wanted to.

 

They established an early curfew and have charged my family thousands of dollars in gps monitoring fees. They refused to grant an excuse to me for being stuck out at my girlfriend's house during a blizzard and shortened the curfew, kidnapped me with officers impersonating Quetzalcoatl ones, vandalized my brother's house, stole his property, and all for the explicit purpose of guiding me towards taking my own life."

 

Gayle and Vinny both paused at that for several moments, their eyes widening.

 

"They have been guiding you towards suicide?"

 

"Yes. Normally, I wouldn't admit something so personal like that, but I want it to be known to the world how their government and leaders have been treating not just me, but other serpentine as well.

 

They see us as vermin, as feral snakes like those who live among the weeds. The police exercise brutality against them during non-violent stops, health and private records for serpentine are sold to third party companies, and they have difficulty filling out leases for apartments in Ninjago City.

 

That is why I am dueling the shogun today, because I want to stand up for serpentine everywhere and show those who see us as inferior that we are entitled to the same justice and freedoms that humans have. We are people too. That's why I'm going to be donating a portion of the winnings to serpentine charities for funding healthcare research, improving energy and green infrastructure, and some other stuff."

 

"How much are you planning to donate?"

 

"Eh, I don't know. I want to meet with a financial advisor first before I do anything. I've heard about people who win big by spending their money recklessly and going bankrupt in three years or so. Oh, looks like we're almost there."

 

"Thank you for your time." She said and let him slither ahead with Wisp.

 

[][][][][][][][][][][]

 

A large crowd had gathered in the event space up ahead, among them several other news groups who all leapt for the chance to get coverage on him. They started asking him questions nonstop, even after he waved them away, but a growl from Wisp and Terra sent them moving back. He slithered up to a mat, where a man wearing decorated armor sat looking at him.

 

"You're early."

 

"Well, like I told Ms. Gossip, it would be very improper for me to be late to my own duel.”

 

"You're a fool for choosing to put your death live on television, and especially for choosing to speak about those false statements concerning the royal family."

 

"They're true. You admitted it yourself. Also, I won't die. I'll whip your ass." He said, and they remained silent. "15 minutes, then we duel."

 

He went over to where his family was seated along with Salome and sat down on a stone wall with Wisp and Terra behind him. "I'm feeling pretty good about this."

 

"I'm still worried for you. You've trained enough for this, right?" Maera asked.

 

"I think so, yes. I've only had about four weeks to prepare, but I've had a great teacher in Wu. I may be extremely inexperienced compared to the shogun, but I feel like I can do this."

 

"I'm proud of you, son. We heard that interview that you gave to Gayle Gossip, and we're happy that you're standing up for the serpentine. You're making your ancestors proud."

 

"Well, I hope they're watching too. And I guess anyone can change." He said and took a drink of water. Several minutes later, he saw the shogun get up, and looked at his watch. "Well, time to go."

 

"Good luck, sweetie." Salome said and quickly kissed him on the mouth after he handed her his phone.

 

"Thanks dear." He then slithered over to the center of the event space and faced the shogun. "I trust that you remember what you and the royal family are obligated to provide should I emerge victorious?"

 

"Should you emerge victorious, 8 million dollars will be yours."

 

A man in a suit came up to them. "Pythor, please put on the vengestone necklace to nullify your magic and elemental powers. Remember, if you use spinjitzu, you forfeit the duel." He nodded and put it on. "You will be victorious if the shogun is too injured to continue or he is disarmed and subdued. Take your positions."

 

Pythor slithered back and drew his sword from the scabbard on his back, and the shogun drew their sword, both readying themselves.

 

"Begin!"

 

The shogun rushed forwards and striked fast at Pythor, who narrowly managed to raise his sword up and block the strike. The clang echoed through the clearing, and Pythor could see the ferocity in the shogun's eyes behind their menacing mask.

 

"Shit, he's fast!" Pythor said and jumped back, and ducked and weaved past the subsequent slashes, each one whooshing centimeters away from the scales on his neck. He was trying to decapitate him!

 

Pythor hissed and leapt towards the shogun, swiping hard at the base of his sword. The metal screeched as their blades slid against each other. He couldn't let the shogun physically overpower him. It was bad enough that the shogun was technically taller than him when ignoring the length of his neck, but he was far more experienced as well.

 

The shogun jerked himself back and nearly made Pythor topple over. He thrust his sword at Pythor's neck, and the anacondrai hissed as the sword dug into the scales on the edge of his neck. They went in for another one, and Pythor crouched low and blocked the thrust, angling his sword to keep the other from sliding off.

 

"So, you do bleed."

 

"I never considered myself a god." He said, and pushed forward. He couldn't let him get behind him. The shogun glanced downward, and leapt back again. Pythor saw his arms move backward and prepared for another thrust, but gasped when the shogun's knees bent. In a flash, the shogun jumped forwards and past him.

 

He didn't even think. He immediately lowered his body so that it was completely horizontal, and felt the air behind him moving. He rolled just in time to see the sword stabbed into the ground right where he had been. The shogun lunged at him and he immediately whipped around, righting himself and thrust his sword forwards.

 

The shogun yelled as his sword sliced through the armor under his right armpit, coating the edge of it in blood. He immediately seized the opportunity and slashed again, but the shogun hopped back and slashed at him. Pythor felt a line of pain light up just above his right hip, then against his lower jaw.

 

The shogun's feet shifted to the left, and Pythor immediately arced his tail upwards. The shogun's sword hit dirt, and Pythor swiveled on the base of his body, striking hard at the shogun's wrist. It embedded itself in the armor for a moment, but the shogun's grip on his sword wavered for a split second.

 

Pythor leapt forwards, swiping at the shogun's neck and taking a chunk out of the armor at the top of his chest. They grunted as the tip of Pythor's sword was again covered in blood. Pythor immediately arced his neck backwards, a slash narrowly grazing against the scales on his throat, another cut on him oozing blood.

 

He needed to end this fast. His breathing was getting heavier, and he was getting cut far too much for his liking. Pythor quickly looked at the shogun's left leg and lunged for it. The shogun weaved his sword down to block it.

 

Gotcha.

 

Pythor redirected his sword strike and swung hard at the shogun's wrist. The feint had left his chest and arm exposed, kept away from his center, and every strike from Pythor kept him from moving it back. The shogun jumped back, but Pythor was right on him. He swung hard from the right, and his blade dug into his hand.

 

The shogun's sword fell to the ground beneath them, the metal clattering across the stone tiles. Pythor bashed the base of his sword into the shogun's mask, making them stumble back. He whipped around and slammed his tail into the backs of their legs, sending them to their knees, and he pressed the blade of his sword to their neck.

 

"Yield." The shogun remained silent and rigid, and Pythor pressed the sword to his skin. "You are beaten. Yield."

 

The shogun simply breathed heavily, and his shoulders slumped, his arms falling to his sides, and Pythor sheathed his sword.

 

"Tell the emperor and empress that I'll be at the palace in two days to retrieve my check."

 

"I don't believe it folks, Pythor Acryla has just beaten the shogun of Ninjago in combat. You saw it right here live on NGTV News." Gayle said as she covered the shogun, still on his knees, then looked over at Pythor. "Mr. Acryla, how do you feel about your win?"

 

"Bleeping tired." He sighed and weakly waved his arm. "Let's do this post coverage stuff in two or three days. I need to get stitches and maybe staples."

 

He slithered over to Wisp and Salome, and hugged them. "Sorry about the blood."

 

"It's okay sweetie. I'm glad you're safe." She said. "You did amazing."

 

"Mostly, yeah. Now I can look for Clancee."